The Madness of Malefor
by Joei Write
Summary: Malefor was an assuredly malign being. Born of hatred for his own kin, and consumed with a lust for power, his lurid fate seemed inevitable. However, there was a time before that. Before Malefor became the Dark Master that history remembers, he was once a kind and bold youth. There were those that relied on him, encouraged him: even called him a friend. That sad saga, finally told.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ignitus watched with pride as he gazed at Spyro and Cynder through his omniscient hourglass. They were finally free to live their lives, forever excused from the strife that had plagued the world for so long. High above Avalar they soared, chasing each other around in a cyclical dance that mimicked the rise and fall of the sun and moon. The expressions on their faces sung out with euphoria, and the new Chronicler watched the wind whip through their wings. Moments after he'd begun to watch, Ignitus found himself smiling, and he ended the vision through which he'd been watching. He had pried enough, and opted to let his still-young companions enjoy each other's presence without intrusion.

The large hourglass in the center of the room ceased its luminescent glow, and the dim stillness returned. The once red dragon stood fixated on what he'd just seen, and it slowly dawned on him that this was just one of the soon-to-be many happy occasions that he could record in the Books of Time. Satisfied with such a joyous occupation, which he'd surely have until time in memoriam, Ignitus used his newly acquired telepathic abilities to levitate a scriber's quill and bring to him both Spyro and Cynder's separate books. But as he was about to write, he stopped, and had brief thought. It was meek and second-minded, but it was just ambitious enough to work. The dragon returned the books to whence they came with a small flex of his power, and instead brought to him a new book; it's pages were all blank. Ignitus began to write, and he started to recount the couple's journey together. It didn't take too long for Ignitus to finish the tale, and then create more pages eager to be filled as the pair's future unfolded. The former Guardian was certain of one thing, and it was that no matter what lie ahead in the distant future, his students, his friends, especially Spyro and Cynder, they would always face it together. Pleased with his first major contribution to the Books, Ignitus set the quill down, and put the book in its rightful place on the shelves of the White Isle's extensive library. It seemed like a puzzle, and it perfectly complimented the other colorful spines of the other books and scrolls.

Between the silence that followed and what came next, Ignitus found himself to be curious. Looking around, it finally started to sink in that not only was he surrounded by an absolute wellspring of knowledge, but it was in fact _the_ most intense wellspring across the realms. The entire history of the dragon race, most of it anyhow, was all contained under a single roof, and then some. Ignitus started to glance around the circular room, and even with all the stories and epics that he could've chosen from, there was one story in particular he wanted to read most of all.

"Back then…we'd no way of knowing why, but we do now." He softly said to himself under the nightly lighting of the hourglass.

Bringing the image of his desired novel into mind, he felt a chill cascade down his spine. The tale he wished to read was riddled with treachery, greed, and of course, malevolence. His mind's eye reached out to it, and in a matter of second he raised his eyelids and found that he'd summoned forth the very book he'd been seeking. Ignitus knew that contained within its pages was the very story that would answer why he'd been forced to struggle so in life. The book before him, floating in the air like a cloud on high, was the story of Malefor, the Dark Master.

"Malefor," the name sent ripples through the wise dragon as he spoke it aloud, "I'm ready to learn why." With that, Ignitus braved his doubt and opened the book and started to read.


	2. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 1

The Madness of Malefor

By: Joei Write

Chapter 1

Winter's cold touch has recently faded from the land, and the slews of ice and snow that had come with it were beginning to cease. There was still a discernable nip in the air, and it steadily coated all that lingered amid the lively corners of the swamp. Weeds, long since repressed by the weather, began to sprout forth from the ground and engulfed it in a wide array of winding stems and hooked leaves. The creatures that thrived within its overgrown boarders relished in the change of temperature, and many an estranged insect crept out into the sunlight for the first time in months. The ecosystem was at peace with itself, subtly ushering in the sounds of renewal among the other noises that composed the early morning chorus.

High above the thawing grounds of the murky swamp, a dragon flew in a grace all her own. Far past the trees and shrubs she glided, and as she descended closer to the ground, she began to feel a tug in her chest. It pulled her towards the floor of the wetland, and with it her mind began to weigh heavy in her head. The temptation was bewildering to the dragoness, but there still lied a calling, one which couldn't be ignored. She scanned the canopy, and sliced through any movement she saw, but none of it seemed right. The urge, the gravity of the calling she felt seemed distant and alienated, but to pass it by was a crime all its own. Her wingbeat ravaged the air, and the currents changed rapidly as another of her kind crossed her path.

"Hey, Ygraine!" said the muscular blue dragon. The red dragoness turned to him with a prepared expression, and she readied her resolve as he spoke. "You've been circling the swamp for weeks now, so I'm not sure what to tell you. I know you saw something in the Pool of Visions, but perhaps it'd be best to let whatever it is come to you."

"No," she retorted. "I know what I saw, Mistral. It's out here, I can feel it." The ice dragon flew parallel to the dragoness, and all he found himself doing was shaking him head. Ygraine could hear her companion sigh with conformity as his voice reached her eardrum.

"Fine, then. I won't try and stop you, just try and be back at the Temple before dawn this time, okay? You know that I worry for you." Ygraine smiled at Mistral, and then she raced ahead of him without another word. The air rushed past Mistral, and after a humorous shaking of the head, he turned-tail and head back in the direction that he'd come.

Ygraine continued to circle the swamps from the skies, and each cycle revealed little more than the last. Soon her wings grew tired, and she needed to land. At this time, the sun was also beginning its descent over the horizon, and Ygraine knew she had little time to continue searching for whatever she was meant to find. Landing skillfully on the damp swamp floor, she sloshed around in the muck for a bit before repositioning herself on drier earth. To her, it felt good to land and give her wings the sigh of relief they so desperately needed, and thusly she resumed her quest on foot.

The orange light in the sky had begun to dance as it reflected off the large fungi and flora that made their homes in the swamp, and Ygraine had always found such trivialities to be pleasurable. The refractions caught her eye in a way that no element or male dragon could, regardless of the girth. It was after looking away from this caged spectrum that Ygraine blundered into a clearing. The ground, unexpectedly, was greened with grass, and in the centre of it was a single tree lined with a wide variety of flowers and clovers. It was surrounded by a pond that had the most vibrantly blue water, and it glistening in the fading light of the day. Nowhere in sight did Ygraine see any sort of adversary. There were no frogweeds, and no apes infesting the area. It seemed almost untainted by the travesties of civilization, and the very hollow whispered its own transcendent secrets.

Before Ygraine could breathe in the unsullied air, a sound akin to a rustle broke her serenity. It echoed off the tree, and the dragoness was immediately facing the direction from whence the sound came. Years of training had prepared her to react quickly in situations like this, but the tension felt misplaced. With her claws ready to tear, Ygraine took a couple steps towards the place where she heard the sound, and then lower her guard. It was likely just an animal that had been spooked by her presence, but she needed to investigate on the off chance it was a foe. She lowered her wings and remained still as she listened closely for any other sound, and in the frail solidarity of the swampy oasis, she heard the sound of breath. It was ruptured, and stagnant, like the creature responsible was panicking. The red dragoness was baffled by such revelation, but she honed in on the source nonetheless. Directly to her left there was a small grove between two overhanging trees, and she approached it curiously. After crossing between the trees she found a small stash of leaves and branches weaved into a circular shape, almost as it if were a nest.

"Not a nest," she said to herself, "a bed."

Like clockwork, an enigmatic blur burst from the shadow and bolted past Ygraine. She stifled back and spewed fire in an array of directions, but she didn't harm any of the natural beauty that surrounded her. The stench of ash sullied the air, and Ygraine frivolously looked around for what had by-passed her. Turning around, the dragoness analyzed the area and tried to guess where such an object could've hidden, for the grove had been the only place to hide. Stepping about, there was a ripple in the pond's water, and Ygraine's attention was forced towards the roots at the base of the prismatic tree. There, she saw something wondrous, and bewildering at the very same time. She started to wonder if her recent weeks of endless searching caused her to hallucinate, or if she was merely fatigued. Either way, Ygraine found it difficult to have trust in her sight, for before her, tucked in the darkness of the roots, laid a purple dragon.

Ygraine took a stepped closer, breaking the surface of the pond surrounding the tree. The purple dragon didn't move. Instead, the red dragoness watched the small thing shake uncontrollably, sending more wakes across the surface of the water. Grief for her company consumed Ygraine, and her inner motherly instincts bubbled to the surface. "Are you alright?" she asked. The sound of her voice was smooth and welcoming, but the poor purple dragon only forced himself deeper into the roots of the tree that was his security. Ygraine's breath tripped, and she began to zero-in on her slippery target. As she drew closer, she began to see an exhausted fear dripping from the poor youth's eyes. Whoever this purple dragon was, they'd been through too much for one so young, of this Ygraine was certain. "I won't hurt you. Do you have a name?" The dragon didn't answer, they only stared at her with anguish manifested in their body language.

Light was slowing fading, and soon the purple dragon engulfed in the roots became harder and harder to see. Ygraine's desperation turned from bad to worse, and she found herself beginning to fidget. She found this strange, as she'd sharpened her patience over many years of training and meditation. Something about this heterodoxical drake seemed to test her resolve, and it made her start to wonder if this dragon was the very thing she'd been searching for. Nothing else had ever put her off so much, and her amazement only grew as the gaze between them continued. Ygraine felt she was running out of things to say, but simultaneously refused to return to the Temple empty-handed again. The other Guardians had already scolded her for her wayward reconnaissance, and with this discovery, she'd finally had something to show for it. Her own ambition and the safety of this uniquely extravagant dragon became intertwined in her mind, and with such thoughts engraved into her conscience, there was only one thing left to be said.

"You see how big I am, don't you? I _can_ still see you. If I really intended you harm, don't you think I would've tried by now?"

She could see the dark shape of the dragon squirm in place, and then, for the very first time, she heard the dragon speak. "You breathed fire at me. And you invaded my hollow." From the sound of the voice, it was a male preadolescent, hardly past his hatchling years. She could tell by the way his voice had fluctuated from wavering to squeaky. Ygraine smiled, and it burned with affection.

"You startled me. It was just self-defense. If I'd known you were so scared, I'd never have used my fire at you."

"Go away!" the dragon squealed. "This is my home, no one else's. You don't belong here." The Fire dragoness found it morbidly depressing that it wasn't bravery being spouted from the young dragon, but terror. He honestly didn't know what to do, and so he'd resorted to hollow insults to try and accomplish the impossible. The sorrow Ygraine felt before had been amplified, but she tried to remain strong for the both of them.

"Neither do you. A swamp is no place for a dragon, you know; especially not one as special as you." Ygraine heard the dragon started to shift. This was interwoven with sounds of sniffling. The poor dragon was crying under his façade.

"Me, special…?" His tone changed from terrified to inflictive, and the struggle Ygraine faced became anew. "What's so special about me?" Self-doubt chewed away at the purple dragon, but Ygraine held her faith.

"You know you're purple, right? I've never seen a dragon like that. It makes you unique." The dragon remained silent, clearly refusing to believe her. "How long have you been in this grove?" Again, there was no answer. Ygraine inhaled, and she looked up towards the sky. It had been painted a dazzling orange with splashes of yellow, like an artist had handcrafted it. Dusk had fallen, and the red dragoness was running short of time. She returned to the roots and saw that the tiny dragon hadn't moved. "I asked you if you have a name. Do you?" Ygraine saw the dragon shake his head horizontally. "No name?" she said dumbfounded. "Then why not we give you one?" Within the shadows, Ygraine saw the face of the dragon turn towards her, and the terror in his head started to dwindle. Such a simple gift he was about to be bequeathed, and yet it seemed to make a world of difference. "A long time ago," she started, "I knew that if I ever had a son, I'd wanted to name him Qafiel. Sadly, that never happened. But I still think that the name is a strong one, and that only one precious to me will ever deserve it. Do you…like it?"

In Ygraine's awe, she heard the sounds of footsteps striding through the water. She stepped back, and in moments the purple dragon had emerged from under the tree. He was covered from head to tail in mud, and was barely a third of her height. His horns stretched out from the side of his head and bent upwards in a semi-circular shape. His wings were scrawny at best, and it was clear he couldn't fly with them. His forelegs were thin, and his back legs may as well have been skin and bone. The poor thing was clearly malnourished to the worse of extremes. He looked up into Ygraine's eyes, and any remaining tears broke through to the surface. They ran down his eyes in rivulets, and he whimpered like a disheartened puppy. Ygraine stared at her discovery, and where there had once been pride, there was now sympathy. An entangling benevolence monopolized her, and she took the preadolescent into her wings and hugged him affectionately.

"Yes," he peeped as he hugged back.

"Come with me then, Qafiel. I can keep you safe."

"O-Okay," and together, she flew off with the purple dragon mounted on her back, safe and secure. He watched his home vanish far beneath him as he buried his muzzle into Ygraine's back. The red dragoness herself tore through the newly arrived night sky, rocketing towards the Temple with hope and endearment in her fully reformed heart.


	3. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 2

The Madness of Malefor

Chapter 2

Red fingers of day's light reached across the sky as Ygraine finally saw the towering columns of the Temple come into sight. It sat idly on the horizon, and its presence dominated the surrounding landscape. Its architecture resembled that of a coliseum, in that it had a large dome roof, and many kinds of watchtowers lining the sides to spot oncoming threats. It was positioned cleverly on the peak of the plateau that dwarfed the swamp, and its oblong shadow was beginning its morning dance towards the west. It was a great culmination of effort and determination, and Ygraine was lucky to be able to call such a spectacular structure home.

As Ygraine neared one of multiple landing areas stationed on the second story of the Temple, she caught a peek at a small blue dot in the distance. It didn't take her long to make the inference about what she was seeing. Mistral, ever the faithful one, approached her silhouette as it came closer, and by the time both were in each other's sight, Mistral couldn't help but smile. The wind generated from the dragoness' wings rushed past Mistral as Ygraine landed, and he wasted no time in walking up to her as she settled onto the stone flooring of the landing pad. His gait, Ygraine noticed, indicated that he was anxious to see her, yet also terribly irritated.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Yg," the Ice dragon said with sarcastic tone, "but I do believe I told you to be back before dawn this time. You know that Theos and Raiz are going to berate you for this, again…especially Theos." Ygraine smiled in Mistral's ignorance. She could hardly contain her satisfaction knowing what had occurred in the swamp. A small titter escaped her throat, and Mistral tilted his head in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Mistral; I promise I intended to come back on time, but I was a little…" and she turned her body sideways, revealing the small purple dragon clinging to her back. "…held up."

The fire dragoness watched as Mistral's mouth crashed from his jaw to the ground, and his footsteps towards her echoed with disbelief. Never before in his life had he seen such a thing, for it was thought to be impossible. Soon Mistral was so close he could smell Ygraine's scent like a perfume, and the purple dragon was draped over her back like some kind of curtain. Mistral found himself to be baffled and amazed as he tried to make sense of at what he was looking. There was nothing ordinary about this dragon, from his horns all the way to the color of his scales. Mistral inspected his wings, but upon touching the dragon, he felt how thin and frail his bones were. It then hit the Ice dragon that this poor young dragon was hungry, famished even. It needed help, and Ygraine had been kind enough to oblige. Mistral lost himself to generosity, and he snorted once before ordering Ygraine to bring him inside.

Together, they walked down the colossal halls of the Temple as the midmorning rays coated them in a thin layer of light. Each wall was a victory of its own, and they rang with a heroic narrative total unique to its design. It was a triumphant place, and in truth, Mistral and Ygraine still felt its presence every time they walked in. The walls were decorated with commemorative scrolls and paintings of various dragons throughout their lifetimes, and on occasion, they passed a chiseled version of themselves, forever sculpted in stone. They walked for a few minutes, and then Mistral stopped at a three-way hall and turned to Ygraine. "You know where my room is. Bring him there and put him on the bed. I'll grab some rations for him." The dragoness complied, and they split up.

Mistral headed down the path to the left and vanished into the depths of the Temple to food storage. Ygraine hurried on and soon came to Mistral's door about a minute later. She gently pushed it open, as not to wake the sleeping dragon on her back. Light seeped into the room through the large door and the big window to the right of the entryway, and Ygraine skated across the room and tenderly placed the purple dragon on the huge bed. It completely shamed him, as there was more than enough room for herself to join him on it. She pulled the sheet over his body, and nudged his head to see if he'd gone unconscious. To Ygraine's rapture, the dragon inhaled, so he had just been asleep. With Ygraine's sigh came the squeak of the door behind her, and Mistral walked in with a bundle of food. He laid it out on the bed next to the preadolescent, and felt the dragon's head. It was warm, a bit too warm.

"I think he's got a fever."

"It wouldn't surprise me, given the state I found him in."

As Ygraine spoke, Mistral turned to his personal belongings, which were contained on a large table in the leftmost corner of the room, and grabbed a red crystal shard from the countertop. He returned to the bed and placed the crystal by the sleeping dragon's head. In seconds it started to glow, and it was absorbed into the dragon's being, healing him, if only a little.

"There…that should hold him over until he can get some real treatment."

"Thank you for this, Mistral." He nodded, and she continued. "I bet you have a number of questions that you've wanted to ask." His expression conveyed that Ygraine had read his thoughts completely, but he was still far too baffled to formulate those thoughts into an orderly queue. The only thing he could think to ask without fumbling over his words were,

"Many, but for now, what's his name?"

Ygraine adopted a rather serious persona, and Mistral heard her heart break for the poor dragon that she'd rescued. "He didn't have one." Such a statement sent shockwaves through Mistral, and he was having an even harder time trying to follow up on such a notion. Regardless, he inhaled and attempted to clear his mind. It resulted in little success, but he did manage to ask his second question.

"So you gave him one, then?"

"Yes. I call him Qafiel." The dragoness could see the surprise on her companion's face out of the corner of her eye. She turned to him, and Mistral had a look that had conjured up even more questions. None of which he asked, for the answers were already known between the two. Mistral opted not to mention his thoughts on the subject, and instead continued on with his original plan.

"I see. So then, what are we going to tell Theos and Raiz? Raiz might understand, but I'm never sure about Theos anymore. He's so hardheaded." Ygraine giggled at Mistral's sentence, and then she sat down on the floor next to the bed. She let her wings fall to the side, and the Ice drake she was with soon followed.

"He's an Earth dragon, Mistral. Hardheadedness is a given with them." Both let out hearty laughs at the joke, and the atmosphere of the room completely changed. It was filled with hope again, and the doubt that Ygraine had carried in had been all but dispelled. Shortly after, Ygraine's attention was redirected back at the small dragon in Mistral's bed, and her affectionate side began to surface once more. She felt her chest swell with motherly love, a sensation that was almost foreign to her. Light started to shine on the sleeping dragon's face as the dragoness spoke, and it glorified him in a way Ygraine had never seen. "Poor, poor thing," she said in a sympathetic tone. "I guess he must've fallen asleep during the flight here. Then again, it's very easy to fall asleep when you stomach is empty, and your mind is clouded."

"Agreed," chimed Mistral. "I'm surprised he managed to hold onto you, despite being asleep."

"I'm not. If you saw the way he was hiding, the way he was shaking when he saw me, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the first time he's needed to hold onto something so dearly. And not only that, even though he was living in a grove, Qafiel seemed not to have eaten in weeks, maybe months. It's like he doesn't know how to feed himself."

"Were there any traces of other dragons in the grove where you found him?"

"No. Not just dragons, no one. It was almost like he'd been left there, and no one ever found him until I arrived. It was completely unsullied."

"You think he was abandoned?"

"It's possible. He does seem a bit old for that, though. He's clearly not a hatchling, but he's not quite an adolescent either. But given the way he looks, he'll probably be one in a matter of weeks."

"Honestly Yg, I'm still baffled by the fact that you said he had no name. Could he have forgotten it from living in isolation?"

"I suppose, but somehow I get the feeling he would've remembered, even if he only heard it a couple of times. It's strange, Mistral. It's almost like he just…fell from the sky."

As Ygraine finished her line, the two adult dragons heard a sound coming from behind them, and it was preceded by a booming slam of the door. They hardly needed to spin around to know what was happening. Mistral turned about first and saw two more dragons standing in the doorway, one large green onto to the left, and a more limber yellow one to the right: they were the Earth and Electricity Guardians, Theos and Raiz, respectively. Ygraine wanted to sigh, as she had expected this from the two of them, but she had wished that they hadn't been so lousy with their entrance. After all, the purple one was still in what was likely the deepest sleep of his life. Ygraine rose to her feet and Mistral followed, and then they watched annoyingly as the other two dragons approached them and took notice of what exactly they were hovering over. When Theos saw the dragon, he started blinking his eyelids starting rapidly as if he was checking his sight for vision issues. He then took a step back and snorted. His voice sounded throughout the room, without giving Raiz the chance to speak.

"Ygraine, what is this?" Being an Earth dragon, Theos was a naturally stalwart individual, but despite his solid exterior, every adult in the room knew that no matter what he said or did, it was always in the best interests of the dragons at the Temple. To frost it over, Theos also had a deep rumbling voice, as one would expect an Earth dragon to have. It was rather prominent in all settings, and it was like listening to thunder clap every time he spoke. However, none of this daunted Ygraine, as she'd been acquainted with Theos for as long as she could remember, and this gruff persona was just another day at the Temple.

"Theos, _this_ is Qafiel. I found him alone in the swamp. He was half-starved and falling apart. I couldn't leave him out there, so I brought him to our temple." She stood her ground against her superior, but Mistral wasn't having any of this nonsense.

"Have you forgotten, Theos?" He intruded, "It is our duty as Guardians to look after the next generation of dragons. In case your sight is finally failing you, this is a purple dragon. The likes of which neither you, nor any dragon has ever seen before. It could mean a great number of things, and I am not willing to simple let you abandon him because of your fanatical intuitionism." Raiz was surprised about Mistral's wild accusation, but Ygraine and the Ice Guardian both knew that Theos was thinking it, and that he had yet to say it aloud. Such a proclamation would've normally angered Theos, but he was rather impressed that his fellow Guardian could predict his thoughts so well. He gave them a half-smile, and then his persistent smirk returned.

"You've known me too long, Mistral. Fine, what are we to do then?" The Ice Guardian wanted to respond to Theos' question, but Ygraine jumped in ahead of him and proudly answered her chieftain.

"We include him in this year's generational training regimen. Put him in my group, I'll look after him personally."

Raiz looked away from Ygraine and looked over the dragon sleeping in the bed. He looked young, really young. It was after a questioning expression came on his face that he finally got his first word in. "Ygraine," he said with an inquisitive voice, and the other three Guardians looked at him, "He seems bit young for that, don't you think? All the other students are at least adolescents. This one seems younger."

"Yes, Raiz. I'm well aware of that. Unfortunately our only other option is to wait for him to join next year's students, and by then he'd be too old. It'd be better if he joined a group that was a bit older then he, than joining one where they're all much younger." Raiz and Mistral nodded in agreement.

"I concur then," said Raiz. "Allow him to join, Theos. After all, Mistral does have a fair point. A purple dragon is quite a groundbreaking find. No one has ever seen one before; matter of fact before right now, I thought it was merely folklore."

"Very well, then. Ygraine, you'll be in charge of managing this…purple dragon. However, anything he does, good or bad, you'll be held accountable. We cannot jeopardize the lives of our students, least not any more than they already are." The last part of Theos' judgment sent pulses of recollection through the room, and each Guardian was reminded of just what was going on within the halls of the Temple. After the reality of their circumstances had faded, Theos and Raiz turned to go, and Ygraine and Mistral stayed by the dragon's side as he continued to sleep through the morning.

The sun was at about a forty-five degree angle as commotion began echoing through the regal halls of the Temple. It carried over through the corridors and reached Ygraine and Mistral as they maintained their vigil on the malnourished dragon. Both their heads perked up when they heard the sound, and they knew that the very first batch of new students had arrived. Each of the two knew that training the next generation was an honor and privilege, but they'd be damned if it wasn't an exhausting occupation. They were continuously forced, year after year, to train a bunch of immature brutes to harness their elemental abilities, while also trying to hammer into their young minds why it was important that they respected their own abilities, and never took them for granted. It was a tiresome job, and yet they took great pleasure in it anyhow. Of the two, Mistral's class was to start earlier, and so he stood up and stretched his wings.

"I suppose it's time I get to my training room. I have a riling room of youngsters eager to meet me." He smiled at Ygraine, and she returned the expression joyously. "Ygraine," he continued, "We've no way of knowing what will result of this dragon's presence, but I have complete faith that, if nothing else, you'll be the mother he needs." An invisible chain of emotion extended from Mistral's soul, and it reached out to Ygraine. It locked in place, and the Fire Guardian felt her long since buried emotions bubble to the surface for the first time in many years. It was satisfying, and frightening at the same time.

"Thank you, Mistral." She said to him. As he approached the door, he stopped and stole a last look at Ygraine and the purple dragon, and under his breath, she heard him whisper something.

"Ygraine, if you're going to be his mother…do you think he'll need a father too?"

"You have students to attend to, Mistral. See to them." Mistral didn't speak again, he only nodded and left.

As soon as Mistral walked out the door and closed it with his tail, the sound happened in concurrence with the sleeping dragon starting to stir. Ygraine's heart jumped up to see the dragon awaken, and it wasn't long before his horns began to shift. His eyes started to peel open, and the large inhale that he performed indicated it was one of the deepest sleeps he'd ever been in. Ygraine greeted him with a smile, and the purple dragon tried his best to return the kindness. "Good morning, Qafiel. How did you sleep?"

"F-Fine," he meekly squeaked. The poor thing was being too modest; Ygraine could tell that it was the best sleep he's had in months, likely even years. "W-Where are we?"

"We're at the Temple. I promised I'd take care of you, right? This is the best place to do it." She watched Qafiel look around the room, and he was utterly stunned by all that he saw. She'd have to find a way to explain all the wondrous things to him, but that'd have to wait until after her morning session with her new students. Qafiel heard a horde of them seem to stampede down the hall from the room. Ygraine heard the door to the nearby training hall swing open with a bang, and then there was once more silence in the halls. Ygraine chuckled to herself, and then she turned to Qafiel. "This food's for you, please eat as much as you can," and she nudged the bundle towards him. "I have somewhere I need to be, but I'll be back in a bit." She stood up and turned towards the door, but a whimper escaped Qafiel's throat.

"Wait!" It wasn't a scream, more of a meek whine. "You…you can't leave me here by myself."

"No," said Ygraine, "I suppose I can't. Perhaps instead you can sit in and watch. Can you walk?" The dragon nodded, "Then take your food with you, and I'll have you sit in the corner." Qafiel climbed out of the covers and took the bundle of food in his mouth. He found it heavy, but he forced himself not to give up. Ygraine saw the resolve in the young dragon's face, and immediately found herself respecting him more than she had before.

Together they exited the room and walked down the hall to a large bolted door. Inside, Ygraine could hear voices, many of them pointlessly chattering about nonsensical things. She looked down to the purple dragon on her left and found him blankly staring at the door, as if he'd never been around dragons his own age. In truth, he likely hadn't. The Fire Guardian smiled, and softly spoke his name.

"Qafiel," and he looked up at her. She could see the uncertainty in his youthful, innocent eyes. "Have no fear. Your destiny starts here, right now." Qafiel nodded, and together they unbolted the doors and walked into the training hall.

* * *

A/N: Just as a note from the writer to the reader, I understand that some of these characters' names can be harder to pronounce than others. So, I took the liberty of creating this miniature, admittedly lousy, pronunciation guide to help with the more difficult and/or awkward names.

Qafiel – KAFF-EE-EL

Ygraine – EE-GRAY-NH

Mistral – MEES-TRAH-LH

Theos – THEE-OH-SS

Raiz – RAY-ZH

New pronunciations will be added to the list throughout the story as they appear. Thank you all so much for understanding, and I hope to limit these author notes in the future.


	4. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 3

The Madness of Malefor

Chapter 3

Upon opening the doors, poor Qafiel felt his chest begin to swell. It was like he'd caught an illness and it was slowly ravaging his body. He did his best to contain it, for he didn't want Ygraine to see the turmoil that had befallen him. The dragon walked with a sidewinding step, like he'd hit his head, and that was all before he realized that the other dragons in the room had been watching them. Qafiel froze, plight stricken, and then he fell short of breath. He was still hungry and exhausted from all that had previously happened the day before, and now with all these strange eyes staring at him, psychologically picking him apart, the purple dragon found that he'd utterly forgotten how to walk.

Ygraine, ever the watchful one, noticed Qafiel's dilemma right away, and once she saw the other adolescent dragons eyeing him so critically, she nudged Qafiel's neck gently. He responded to the touch, and his head moved like lightening from the students to Ygraine. She grinned at him supportively, and then she urged him to the corner of the training hall. "Stay over there. You can just watch for now." And the preadolescent wasted no time in following her order. Ygraine watched as her newest student dragged his bag of food like some kind of freshly killed corpse, and there seemed to be nothing she could do to help him on the inside. It was a battle that Qafiel would have to fight on his own, otherwise, he'd never get over his mental hellscape. Ygraine wanted to give him some more attention, but it just wasn't the right time. This was because right after the students' eyes drifted from Qafiel, they were placed right on her. Unlike the purple dragon though, Ygraine had grown used to having young eyes fall on her, and she was more than willing to grant their wishes.

She circled around the room and analyzed each and every one of the new dragons that she was about to instruct, and in total there were ten youths under her care. Before her she saw a great spectrum of colors and shapes, and many more different horn patterns and spikes to boot. She was impressed with the diversity displayed before her eyes, and it made her all the more eager to begin their training. Before she spoke, she once again stole a glance at Qafiel in the corner. He was struggling to open the bundle of food, but that was yet another thing with which she was currently unable to help him. Ygraine stood proudly before her new students, and then just like before, she smiled.

"Greetings, younglings. As I'm sure you may already know, I am Ygraine, the Guardian of Fire. I know what some of you must be thinking. There's only two Fire dragons among you," as she said this, a few of her most blank-minded students decided to look around the room and see that, just as she'd said, only two Fire juveniles sat among them. One was a boy, and his scales were a dark orange, and his horns were simple in that they bent backwards from his head and then drooped like they'd responded to gravity. His spikes were fairly ordinary, running along his back like how a river runs through a valley. The other was a girl, and her figure was a bit slimmer, and her scales were a deep scarlet, similar to Ygraine's, but far darker. Her spikes only reached down to the base of her neck, and they looked like little white teeth stretching down her neck as they breached from her head. Her horns were horizontal, and they curved downwards and back towards her head. It was a bit of an awkward design, but there was nothing to be done about it as the students finished their seemingly pointless observations. With that done, Ygraine continued her opening remarks. "The reason they aren't the only ones here is because before you learn how to properly use your element, you must learn why it's important to use it properly. You must have respect for it, and never use it for anything hateful. Our world is at peace because of this very practice, and as the harbingers of the next generation, we expect you to carry on this legacy." As she concluded, she glanced at Qafiel and noticed that he'd stopped trying to open the bundle, and that he was instead listening. From the look on his face, he was likely listening far more intently than anyone else in the hall. This pleased Ygraine, and so she looked directly at him when she resumed. "Each and every one of you can and must do this. We…I…have faith in you." Qafiel realized that she had directed that comment specifically at him, and it filled him with an unknown emotion. He felt his claws begin to sweat, and his head began to ache. It was a most odd sensation, but he tried to brush it off and continue listening.

"Younglings," the Fire Guardian said, "The peers you are now surrounded with will undoubtedly become some of your closest friends. Friends and companions alike are some of the most precious things in this world. Each one is entirely irreplaceable. When you choose them, I want you to let your minds choose for you. It's quite a phenomenon, if I do say so. Now, I want you all to get into groups of two. In other words, choose a partner." As Ygraine had instructed, all ten dragons got up and looked around, but none of them seemed to know who to choose. "You're all thinking too hard," Ygraine interjected. "Go wherever to which you're drawn." And thusly, many of the dragons simply walked drearily around the room like they'd all just gotten out of bed. It took a while, but after several minutes every dragon was paired, all but two. One of them was a furious white color, and was clearly a male. His horns curved back, like a goats, and he had no spines whatsoever. With the white scales and the lack of spines, it wasn't hard for Ygraine to make the inference that he was a Wind dragon. That was rare sight to see, but what was extremely curious is that he hadn't chosen a partner, and that he was instead staring right at Qafiel. The other dragon, a female with deep green scales, almost like an emerald in the sun, was also staring right at Qafiel. Ygraine was wonderstruck, and she decided to break the silence.

"Qafiel," she got his attention away from the bundle. He looked up and noticed that two dragons were staring at him. His pupils dilated, and his feet went cold. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing, for he was told he'd merely watch. Ygraine saw the panic in the dragon's face, so she tried to alleviate the tension. "You two," and the white and greed dragons looked at her, "You were drawn to him for a reason. So then, go to him." Truthfully, Ygraine was glad to see not one dragon had for some reason chosen to partner with Qafiel, but instead two. In hindsight, Qafiel's addition to the group did make it a solid eleven students, so a group of three was inevitable. Ygraine was just surprised that her newest add-on just happened to be the one dragon to secure said group of three. She knew it'd be good for him, if he could only muster the strength to face it head on.

Both of the other dragons started their approach towards Qafiel, and once they reached him they sat down swiftly and avoided eye contact. Neither could explain it, but both had the same feeling, like something had drawn them to this queer purple dragon in the corner, but yet they couldn't look him in the eye. Qafiel was still staring at the two of them blankly, and Ygraine's voice echoed again before the tension grew. "You've chosen your pairs, now, introduce yourselves. Because from here on out, you'll all be spending a lot of time together."

Chatter swallowed the room, and the bantering could've been heard from outside the hall. Each dragon started off with a different thing to say, and Ygraine found this to be an interesting way to start things off with this new generation. However, just as before, she couldn't resist stealing a shot of Qafiel with his two new partners. She watched and tried to listen from across the room, but there was too much noise for her to zero-in on what the trio had been saying. Instead, she held her ground and just let her student become acquainted, for it was one of the most important lessons they'd ever learn.

In Qafiel's corner, he was swiftly darting his pupils back and forth between the two dragons that had sat down near him. To say that he was at a loss for words would've been an understatement, and even though his heart was still racing, his throat had dried up far too severely for him to say anything. Both of the other students with him noticed this, and so the Wind dragon cleared his throat and opted to break the ice. "Uh," his voice was whimsical, like he'd refined it over a number of years. He sounded very well spoken, as if he'd honed his linguistic skills affluently. "Greetings," he said. "My name is Ellevyn. As I am sure you can both tell, I am a Wind dragon. We are not exactly rare or anything, but we do like our space. So, that is probably why you do not see too many of us. I have to say, uh…Qafiel, was it…?" he asked the purple dragon, "I have never seen a purple dragon before. It leads me to wonder, are you an Ice dragon? Or a Fire dragon? I mean, being purple, you can only be one of those two, right? Is it just a rare shade of color? I have never heard of such a thing. Well, then…what is it?"

The meek dragon couldn't speak, and he felt himself start to choke on the words he'd not yet said. The green dragoness intruded, and Qafiel was unsure of whether or not she'd done it on purpose. "Well I for one think it's too girly for a boy dragon. Purple isn't a masculine color."

"On the contrary," said an interrupting Ellevyn, "Purple as oft been associated with royalty and high status. Maybe our new friend here is a prince of some distant realm. Male or female, one who is purple has the higher position, traditionally anyway."

"Oh, you mean like you?" Qafiel and Ellevyn turned to the green dragoness, and she was quick to follow up on her statement. "What? You think we don't know who you are? Everyone here knows Ellevyn: that obnoxiously sophisticated Wind dragon from Warfang? You got the most recognition of any one who was accepted into the Temple this go-round."

"I fail to see how that as any sort of relevance to our current…"

"Stop using big words! You know I can't understand them." No else heard the arguing going on in the corner, there was still too much extra chatter. "You know what, fine. If you want to sit there and try to subtly hint at us that you're some kind of prodigy, then whatever. When graduation rolls around in a couple years, I'll wipe the walls with you." Qafiel was dumbfounded by the aggression displayed by this Earth dragoness. She was so furious over something so small, and he couldn't help but quake in her rage. He knew that of all the types of personalities that he could've possibly been stuck with, hers was by far to most troublesome kind. "Anyhow, what's your name, purple?"

"I do not believe you gave us yours," Ellevyn threw in before Qafiel could answer. The green dragoness grumbled, and the she crossed her forearms and pouted.

"It's Desma. My name is Desma, happy?" Neither of the boys dared to answer her. It wasn't because of fear, it was just unnecessary.

"Alright, then," said Ellevyn. "Your name is Qafiel, yes? What is there to know about you?"

This time there was no escape. Qafiel was going to have to answer his new peers, but he was so unbelievably nervous that he could hear his own teeth clicking like he'd been frozen. Ellevyn took notice of the nerves taking hold of his purple acquaintance, but there was nothing he could do to ease the gravity of the situation. Desma did the same, and they both allowed the stress to eat away at him until he was just shy enough to say something. The preadolescent blinked rapidly, and then he looked over at Ygraine for support. She was looking back at him, as she had for a while, and she winked once. Qafiel sighed, and he mustered what little courage it took to give his cohorts some direly needed exposition.

"Well," his jaw was shaking, "I-I'm a purple dragon, but I'm not entirely sure if that really means anything. I've never actually…had anyone around to explain it." Ellevyn and Desma sat quietly. Clearly, they had no follow-up to their companion's story. Qafiel became a bit worried, but he swallowed it despite the lump in his throat and continued. "I'm from the swamp. I lived in a grove until…well, today. Ygraine found me there, but I'm not really sure why I was there in the first place. I'd always lived there alone, and I can't really remember anything before that. I-I'm not even sure why she calls me by that name, it's likely not even my real one."

"You mean Qafiel?" asked a knowledgeable Ellevyn, "I do admit it is not a name which with I am familiar. Perhaps it has some kind of archaic origin I am unaware of." The purple youth watched the Wind dragon across from him sink into his mind palace as he searched for some kind of clues about the name, but he was clearly coming up short. Once it was obvious that Ellevyn had come back, Qafiel tried to wrap up his opening statements.

"Uh, look," he said with a quivering jaw, "I was told I'd only be watching today, so I'd really like it if you guys could do most of your training together. I mean, I'm not exactly in peak physical condition right now. I wouldn't be much help, anyway." After the dragon concluded, the other two students began analyzing him and saw that he was in fact a bit scrawny for someone his age. It looked like he was made of sticks, and that with a single blow he might break a bone. There was no question that he was frail, the issue was how frail.

"Well then," said Ellevyn, "At the very least let me help you with that." With that he snorted out a very delicate puff of wind that sliced through the top of the bundle. The food spilled out, and landed right onto Qafiel's claws. Both parties were surprised, but neither of them was angry. "Oh, I am sorry. I still have a bit of an accuracy problem. I was aiming for the center of the bundle, not the top. It is quite hard to perfectly guide small blasts of wind. The big ones are the easy ones, go figure, but heaven forbid the small ones cause any trouble."

"Younglings…!" It was Ygraine's voice, and it rang through the room like church bell. Every dragon in the room stopped what they were doing and looked in her direction. That is, everyone except Qafiel who had finally begun his first real meal. Ygraine could hear him hovering down the sustenance that had been provided, and it made her worry that he'd get an upset stomach from eating too quickly. "Qafiel," she directed, and everyone looked at him. He stopped what he was doing, and faced her with a dead look. His eyes were wide, and the poisonous emotions were beginning to secrete from his forehead. "Slow down. I don't want you getting a stomach ache." The tension diffused, and everyone laughed for a brief moment. Qafiel worried that they were laughing at him, but instead he wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to eat. It was like ambrosia compared to the insects and fungus he'd always eaten, and it helped that he didn't have to constantly look over his shoulder as he ate. He was safe, albeit a little humiliated that he'd been called out, but he knew it was only for his own good. With that done, and Qafiel filling his belly, Ygraine continued.

"As I was trying to say, now that you've all met your training partner, or in some cases, _partners_ ," and she directed her look over at Qafiel, Ellevyn, and Desma. "You need to learn how each other moves, their strength, and most importantly their weaknesses. You'll all be fighting together and against one another from now until you advance, and while I admit that'll be a few years, you still need to learn what the other dragon lacks, and make up for it yourself. If you find that you both have the same weakness, you might want to heavily consider switching partners. However, this is not the place to do it." She had aggregated the attention of the entire room, and even the three oddballs in the corner found themselves waiting in anticipation of what the Fire Guardian had planned. "It's been said numerous times that the other Guardians don't approve of what I'm about to do, but I've done it for so many years now to fantastic results that I can't imagine stopping. So, we're going to leave this training hall, and have our first lesson somewhere more…natural."

With that said, Ygraine had everyone in the class stand up and go out the door. She followed close behind as she led the group from the rear. Qafiel walked right beside her as Ellevyn and Desma hurried ahead to walk with the main group, and it didn't help that he was struggling to keep the remainder of his bundle intact. Ygraine saw his inconvenience, but she was unable to do anything about that razor cut that Ellevyn had delivered to the bundle which Mistral had bequeathed unto Qafiel. It wasn't that Ygraine found the problem to be funny, but rather that it sort of like an unofficial test to see how persistent Qafiel is, or was going to be. It made the red dragoness proud, and soon the group arrived on a landing pad, the same one that Ygraine had landed on that morning. She maneuvered her way to the front of the group and spread her wings to get their attention, and the rest of the student did the same in preparation for takeoff.

"Listen to me, I want you all to do exactly as I say. Where we're going is a bit of a flight, but if at any point you start to feel fatigued or weakened, rely on your partner. Let them support you throughout the flight. In fact, I _want_ you to push each other to make it through, otherwise, you'll miss out on a very dainty surprise once we get there. Now, everyone up!" Flapping was heard all around, and each and every student soared into the air: everyone except Qafiel. He watched from the pad as the other students took off without him, but before he could feel any emotions in regards to the subject, Ygraine walked up to him. "Qafiel," she said sweetly, "I know you're wings aren't strong enough to fly just yet. So, we'll just have to make due. Climb on then," and she turned around, exposed her back to the purple dragon. A completive dragon pulled himself up onto her back and held on with both claws while grasping the bundle in his mouth. He was still digesting, so flying wasn't the greatest idea, but he promised himself to be strong for Ygraine. After that, they took to the air, and Ygraine lead her students southwest towards their very first lesson as the condemned generation.

…

It was about a straight hour flight, which for younglings was pushing their boundaries. Most of the students had indeed wound up needing to rely on their peers for the spirit to push the last few miles, and it strengthened the bonds they had, just as Ygraine had intended. Qafiel on the other hand had all the whole time to enjoy the views, since last time he'd fallen asleep midflight. Some of the other dragons envied him, but it was short-lived and completely overshadowed by their freshly acquired competitive spirit. This pushed the trainees to do better than they ever previously would've and it showed in their resolve by the time their destination came into sight.

Far below them stretched a far green countryside brimming with rolling hills and lush trees. It was quite picturesque to their virgin eyes, and it filled them all with a quaint pleasure that they'd normally get from other trivialities. Such a sight was nearby incomprehensible for young Qafiel and his two partners, but they followed the mass of dragons down into the landscape. They crossed over a flowing river and passed on through the intertwining trees until they came to an open field adjacent to the waterways of the stream. Each dragon produced a small puff of air as they landed onto the softened soil, Qafiel being no exception. Ygraine let him slide off gently as not to scare him, and before long he'd joined back up with Ellevyn and Desma before Ygraine resumed her opening lesson.

"Well then," she said, "I'm sure you're all rather tired after flight like that…so how about we walk from here." There was a peppy electric dragon in the back of the group that everyone could hear sighing, and after the ensuing laughter had subsided, Ygraine addressed it directly. "Don't worry, it's right through these trees."

As the group walked along the riverbank, Qafiel started to have flashbacks of his life in the swamp and the solitude that came with it. It dawned on him that his life had changed so rapidly over the course of a few hours, but it was quickly halted by a nudge from the Wind dragon to his left. Ellevyn stared at his partner with concern, and asked him with a confiding expression, "Qaf, are you alright?" It was the first time anyone had called him by a nickname, and it was too odd for Qafiel to process.

"Uh, yeah," he responded weakly, "As well as I can, I guess." Ellevyn seemed satisfied with this answer, and the group urged onto until they came to cluster of trees.

Ygraine stopped them before, and then she made a grunting sound that carried itself through the branches. The students were baffled by the gesture, but then a being emerged from the undergrowth. Most of the dragon had heard stories, but few of them had ever actually seen a cheetah before. Yet that didn't stop the blue cat from appearing from the shadows with a mountainous grin on his face. Ygraine returned the smile, and she approached him fearlessly.

"Archer," she extended the invitation, "Nice to see you again."

"I'd never deny a visit from you, Ygraine. The village is right through here, shall we hurry?" The Guardian nodded, and as the group pushed through the trees, Qafiel run up to Ygraine and bonked her in the thigh.

"Um, Ygraine, why are we here?" Before she could answer they heard someone roar in the distance, and it startled the students.

"What was that? Archer, what's going on?" Ygraine yelled.

"The apes, they're here…" said the cat as he quivered, bow in hand.

Pronunciations:

Ellevyn – EL-LEH-VIN

Desma – DEZ-MUH


	5. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 4

The Madness of Malefor

Chapter 4

Archer drew a single arrow from the quiver at his side and notched it into place on his bow. All watching could tell he was a seasoned bowman, and none that saw the fire in his eyes dared to cross his path. Singlehandedly he gave Ygraine a hand signal that heralded her to move the younglings out of sight into the surrounding brush. Obviously, they wasted no time in finding hiding spots. While they were all eager to learn, none of them hungered for combat on their first day: save maybe Desma. Qafiel and his companions stayed tucked in a greening thicket close to Ygraine and a notched Archer, and it made it all too easy to hear what they were saying under their breaths. At first the dragons were having a hard time making sense of what was going on, for not every dragon heard Archer proclaim the presence of apes in the valley, but Ygraine certainly knew, as did Qafiel. The purple dragon was no stranger to threatening situations, but it was very first time he'd ever needed to face one with others around him. Of course, this knowledge did nothing to aid in the fact that Ellevyn was stationed uncomfortably close to Qafiel. The preadolescent wasn't used to such confining quarters, and it made things rather awkward for him as he felt Ellevyn's shoulder brush across his.

"Sorry, Qafiel," acknowledged the juvenile dragon as he shifted about. "There isn't a lot of room in here." Qafiel was trying to ready a response when Desma jumped in.

"Why are we hiding anyway? Is this part of the session?" Both could hear the aggravation in her voice, and it did nothing to diffuse the situation.

However, before either could answer they found Ygraine had stopped chatting with Archer and turned back around to the three of them. She stared at them for a moment, then briefly checked above them to make sure no one else was listening, and then she got in Qafiel's face as she whispered to him, "I'm so sorry, Qafiel. I wasn't expecting something like this to happen. The Valley is normally so peaceful." The trainee could tell that his teacher was trying to formulate her words, but instead she rushed into her next sentence without any sort of prerequisite. "Look, Archer and I need to take care of something, so please just stay here with the other students. I want you and your friends to relay the message, please." Qafiel nodded in compliance, and then Ygraine turned to Ellevyn and Desma. "Look you two, until I get back, listen to Qafiel, he knows what to do." They too nodded. "Alright, stay here…and _don't_ move." With that her face vanished from the brush and light crept in threw the small cracks in the foliage. All three dragons had blanks in their minds, but Ellevyn immediately stepped up to the plate.

"Alright, you heard her mates. We have to tell everyone to stay where they are, out of sight."

Without hesitation, both the Wind dragon and Desma crawled from their hiding spot to the surrounding area to convey to the other dragons the message. It came across as strange, but it seemed that Qafiel was the only one that truly understood what was happening. He could tell this from the incessant chatter he heard coming from the bushes he was surrounded by. The other students kept saying that they thought it was part of some kind of training exercise, as Desma had, or that the Guardian had simply gotten lazy and moved ahead without them. But Qafiel knew better. For one reason or another, his caretaker had been forced into a skirmish for her life, small-scale as it may have been.

Qafiel tried to make sense of the situation, but instead he found himself growing more and more curious about what was happening. Quietly, and with his partners noticing, Qafiel took matters into his own hands and slowly started to slither out of the bushes and through the brush that Ygraine and Archer had passed through. He crept forward, like a predator stalking the light, and before he knew it he found his nostrils feeling the warm of the sun. This was coupled with the sounds of screeching and screaming, and other bodily noises he knew all too well. The only difference was that for once, he was hearing them out of someone other than himself. There was a roar, like the one they'd heard previously, and before he could process it he saw a spout of flame coming from over the hill that had appeared before him. Instinct forced him to stand up and run, but instead of cowering in the thicket from whence he came, he realized he was indeed running towards the hill. It was all adrenaline as he approached it, and all reason had left his mind as he raced forward. There was nothing to think, for that fire spout could've only come from one source: Ygraine. He feared for her safety, and once he crossed the top of the hill, before him laid a battlefield, homey as it was.

It was a village, a burning village. The flames had not been caused by Ygraine, they had a far darker origins. Among all the others cheetahs that Qafiel saw scrambling about amid the many wooden hut and tents, Qafiel saw monkey-like creatures. They fought on two legs, but they ran on four. They howled with a primal rage that filled Qafiel with fear, and many of them dared to wear the most intimidating kinds of face paint. The all wore clothes, mostly just trousers, but some wore vests and satchels, other carried weapons like staves and maces. Qafiel was flabbergasted by the utter chaos displayed before him, and it was all too much of a setting for him to comprehend at once. There were far too many variables involved in what he saw. There was the village, but also the apes, and even with those simple players, there were still other things to add to the mix yet. He'd excluded the cheetahs as part of the equation, as a portion of them stumbled about putting out fires. The other, as Archer had done, wielded bows and were firing flurries of arrows at a time. Some found their marks on the ape's backs, but most of the primates were too slippery and dodged them with moments to spare. And then, to end all things was Ygraine in the very corner of the village. Flames erupted from his throat in ways Qafiel didn't think were possible, and what was once a kind and nurturing soul had converted into a hellish unit of war. Qafiel saw the inferno of battle raging in her eyes, and while he was somewhat expecting to see her aggressive side, nothing could've prepared him for the way she was thrashing about. Enemy after enemy charged after her, and each one was charred to a crisp. Before Qafiel's very eyes, his beloved Ygraine was committing homicide.

The shock was short lived, it needed to be, for Qafiel watched helplessly as one ape in particular used his allies' death to circle around Ygraine and get her raw neck in his gaze. Qafiel knew exactly what was going to happen, and he knew he'd never reach her fast enough, but it didn't stop him from taking a single step forward and belting, "YGRAINE!" The dragon turned about in shock, and before her eyes was the purple dragon she'd taken in standing petrified on the hill just outside the village gate. She was angry and stunned at once, but then she noticed the ape that had been behind her. Qafiel's call had alerted her, and then that very ape saw the same rage boiling in Ygraine's eyes as she selflessly spewed fire in his direction. Within moments the ape was no more, and Archer followed this brutal killing with a finely placed arrow into an adjacent ape's right eye. They fell instantly, and with the next few killings came the fallback of the apes.

They poured from the village gate, not far from where Qafiel was standing, and scurried down the river. Before the village was void of all apes, one of them stopped and saw Qafiel watching them. Neither of their species had ever seen the other, and Qafiel soon noticed he had an admirer. For fleeting second they stared at each other, and then, as more arrows came down, the gaze was broken, and the ape ran with the rest of its troop. The purple dragon was dazed from the intensity of the battle, and he hadn't even participated in it. However, that didn't stop the eventual scolding he would receive from Ygraine for disobeying her orders. Regardless, he was relieved to see her safe; it was ever more gratifying to know that it was done by his own hand.

Archer and Ygraine ran from the village gate, and they met Qafiel halfway up the hill. He'd walked down it a few paces so that he could meet them midway. As Ygraine drew closer, Qafiel could see the mixed emotions bubbling on her face, and by the time they were close enough to touch, her face screamed of embarrassment and shame. "Qafiel!" She hollered at him. "I told you to stay hidden!"

"I know, I know…" he weakly defended. "But I heard what sounded like a struggle and I was worried about you and Archer, and then I came over the hill and saw those ape-things attacking the village…and then that last one almost got you…I…I…" whatever fortitude he'd mustered over the last several minutes became naught but a fleeting memory in the face of Ygraine's anger. Qafiel knew that he'd disobeyed his teacher's orders, but he couldn't help himself from caring. Ygraine could see this, so even though she'd become a volcano, she retracted her rage and send it back to her inner depths.

"I know you were worried. And I _am_ glad that you said something. That could've ended badly." Qafiel looked her in the eye with a faintly positive smile, and she returned the expression with a glowing aura of gratitude. Though she didn't want to admit it, Qafiel could've very well just saved her life. "Are the others safe?" she asked.

"I think so. Ellevyn and Desma warned them while I was sneaking off. Honestly though, I don't think the majority of them know why they're hiding."

"I think it's best that they don't learn the real reason," chimed Archer. "These attacks have been growing excessively worse over the last few weeks, and we've barely had any sort of respite." The blue-furred cat claimed innocence in his exposition, but Ygraine was quick to jump in with a few accusation of her own.

"I know you've only ever had good intention for myself and my students, Archer. However, I see no reason why you wouldn't warn me about these attacks prior." The cat crossed his arms and sighed, and the two dragons accompanying him awaited a satisfying answer.

"I'd never intentionally put you or any of your student in danger, Ygraine. All I'm trying to say is that I was well aware of your visit this day, but I never had the chance to send out a falcon to warn you. We've barely had any sort of breathing room, but even so, I must admit some of the blame is on us. Our village has always had allegiance with the dragons."

Both parties could see the confusion on Ygraine's face as she readied her next question. "That doesn't explain why you acted so casually by the border to the village."

"Ah, yes," defended Archer. "The reason for that is because the attack we just had, it's the first of the day. Until now, we were hoping the apes would relent until sunset and that this silly game they're playing would be over, but it seems we were wrong."

"Sunset?" Ygraine asked, to which Archer nodded. "And my students are fatigued from the flight. Ugh, this is most troubling." Everyone present was unsure of how to handle the situation, least long term. At that moment, it was unanimous that the students be brought into the village, for it was where they'd have the most protection.

Ygraine was quick to move everyone from the bushes and trees to within the village walls, and it was there that they were all stationed with their partners. Ygraine, unable to take the time to educate them because of the patrols that needed doing, simply requested that Archer look after them while they continued to chat to each other. However, the surrounding cheetahs did find it odd (and mildly humorous) that none of the broodlings questioned why a number of the village dwellings were ashes on the ground. Only Archer himself, Qafiel and his partners knew that had truly happened, but they were far too self-concerned to reveal such toxic information freely. So instead, Archer sat down with Qafiel, Ellevyn, and Desma, and the four struck up a number of conversations while the village enjoyed the first and only respite it was given.

As foretold by Archer, the sun soon fell over the land, and the creeping darkness followed close behind. When the enveloping began, Archer had just finished explaining to the three curiosities how and when he'd learned to use a bow and arrow. It was quite a fascinating story, but he'd been cut off by the time Ygraine finally came back after multiple hours of assistance. That is, brawn-based assistance, as her students' raw muscles were rendered practically useless. She came over to them heaving, and it was quite clear that she was tarnished from the labor involved in helping to rebuild the village's defenses. She sat down with the four with a heavy crash, and it was moments after that the shadowy blanket of night encased them in its wake.

"I hope you'll forgive me for this, younglings." She said to them, but it was mostly for Ellevyn and Desma. "There were unforeseen complications."

"It is alright, Ygraine," said Ellevyn with an unbreakable patience. "Some contingencies just cannot be accounted for."

"I told you to stop using big words!" Desma yelled at him. At that, everyone in their little circle laughed, even Qafiel. Ygraine noticed, and didn't bother to point out that it was first time she'd seen him do so.

The sky was an artistic mix of violets, oranges, and blacks, and just as easily as it had overtaken them, so easily did it hide their enemy in the shadows. Outside the village, not far from where Qafiel had finally started to take heart, there moved animals in the dusky night air. There were hordes of them moving in union, like an ant colony controlled by an obsessive queen. Together they swam through the varying thickets, and silently surrounded the village like a hivemind does. A well-oiled machine, that's what they were, and it showed in their flawless tactics. They'd waited until the cover of night to resume their assault, and it was already too late for the cheetahs by the time they were ready to strike.

Inside the village, a bonfire had been started, and many of the dragons and cheetahs gathered in the center to officially try and welcome the poor young souls to their villages. It was clear that whatever was going on inside the village, it was a rite of passage of sorts, but it had been zealously interrupted by their unruly neighbors, the apes. Qafiel was forced to bid Archer farewell as he stood up and returned to the side of a more muscular cat than himself, and this raised some curiosity as the final preparations began. Qafiel nudged Ygraine, and she was instantly responsive to his touch. She look at him, having caught her breath at last, and for the second first of the day, Qafiel was brave enough to ask a question.

"Um, Ygraine," he said with a wavering foundation, "Who is that cat that Archer's talking to?"

Ygraine smiled first, and then she starting swaying her tail. She was thrilled that Qafiel was starting to come out of his shell, and so soon too. However, she had a few things that she wanted to say to him, and it started with his poor grammar. "Qafiel, firstly never end a sentence with 'to.' It's much too informal for a dragon like you. Secondly, that's the village chieftain, Falconer. Think of him as the Theos of this village." Qafiel was baffled that Ygraine had given him a speaking lesson, but he ignored it and kept asking questions.

"Uh okay," said the purple dragon, "So anyway, what are they doing?"

"They're preparing a ritual of rites. It's sort of like how I orientated you and your partners into the Temple before flying you guys out here."

"Are they training new hunters? Like how you're training us?"

"Not exactly, see how it works is…" Regrettably, Ygraine was interrupted by Archer as he strolled up to them with a concerned look on his face.

"Pardon me, Ygraine. We have a situation." Anticipation flashed in Ygraine's eyes, and already she was mentally preparing for the worst. There wasn't very much that she could do, so rather than panicking, she gracefully stood up and looked at Qafiel.

"You'll have to excuse me, Qafiel. Something has come up." He glanced at her adherently, but that didn't stop the fountain of emotion from welling up within him.

"A-Are those apes back?" His jaw was shaking, but Ygraine wasn't sure that she could tell him that wasn't the case. Unfortunately she didn't need to, for Archer did.

"It's looking that way." Ygraine shot him a glare, but all the cheetah could do was shrug his shoulders like he'd said nothing wrong. It was the first time Qafiel had ever seen Archer act humorously, as he'd been so serious in the battle beforehand.

There was nothing left to be said as they walked off to acquire the new knowledge and verify if Archer's suspicions had been correct. Poor Qafiel was left to sit there by the bonfire, fearing that he wouldn't have the chance to see it lit. As such, he crossed his arms and laid there as the courage from before seeped into the soil and out of his veins. Although, as he moped there, a single thought kept returning to him; a thought that he just couldn't seem to shake. It was about that ape. That single ape that, through the fire and arrows raining down on him, took the time to stop and acknowledge the dragon's presence. Qafiel was unsure of what it could mean, but one thing he knew for certain was that couldn't have been good. After all, he'd seen them attacking the village! They had to be horrid, wretched creatures. That is what Qafiel wanted to think, but he felt he knew too little. This was his own judgment, as growing up in isolation in a swamp taught him that living things, at the bare minimum fight for survival and nothing else. He couldn't disregard that fact that the apes could've very well been defending themselves, but his thought were cut short when a mammalian screech shattered the frail night air.

First the dragons heard it, and then it hit the cheetahs. Like a hurricane it swept through the village and washed away any sense of reverie that was being displayed. All eyes turned towards the village entrances, and sure enough the animals were rushing in like a wave against the shore. Qafiel stood frozen, unsure if how to react. In his fear, he failed to notice the masses of cheetahs grabbing for their bows, swords, and staves rushing at the apes in a blitz of cursing and rage. Such profanities were unknown to Qafiel, and his pupils grew he heard sounds that he'd never experienced before. One after another, the cheetahs shouted with anger and fury in their voices, and this was carried though with each of their movements. One cheetah swung its bludgeon down onto an ape's head and smashed it like a ripe fruit. The gory sight plighted Qafiel, as he'd never known such violence. This was poor enough, but the carnage continued.

Even the students started to partake in the fight as the apes started to swarm them. In a blaze of color, elements of all sorts lit up the darkening sky, and even Ygraine began to feel the horror setting in of what was happening. They were being overwhelmed, and victory was no longer an options. The apes had been clever, far cleverer than anyone had anticipated. With that, Ygraine raced back over to the students and heaved waves of flame over the apes attacking them, and within the fragile hollows of the night, she hollered at them to run. The rainbow of scales hustled out of the village, through the back entrance that Archer had led them through, and in a matter of seconds the village was void of all dragons, all but four.

Qafiel, still petrified by the bloodbath surrounding him, stood completely still by the bonfire that still burned on. He couldn't move, his legs had lost all feeling; so much in fact that a single ape finally noticed his fear, and mercilessly charged him. Qafiel saw the ape, but he couldn't bring himself to move, it was too much at once. The ape leapt in the air, and crashed into him, breaking his lip and drawing first blood. The dragon had toppled over, and he felt the claws of the ape sink into his shoulder and the pain radiated through him. He only screamed once, and that was more than enough for Ygraine to response. She turned and saw him under attack, and where there was once an inferno raging in her eyes, an entire hellscape surged through her being. For the third first that evening, Ygraine was angry. Her blood started to boil, and steam vented from her nostrils. Even the apes charging her felt the air around them warm up, and before long they saw Ygraine glow. The light enveloped her, and before they could understand what was happened it shot around her in all direction and completely incinerates everything in its wake. The ape, a least a few, were annihilated, and Qafiel was saved. She ran over to him, drained, but she helped him up.

"We need to leave this place, now!" Qafiel nodded, and she scooped him up and headed outside the settlement. As they retreated, the remaining apes razed the village.


	6. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 5

The Madness of Malefor

Chapter 5

Ygraine breathlessly ran into the bleak darkness of the night as the smell of village ash faded into the distance behind. In her mouth, Qafiel jingled like bell, and he found himself feeling sicklier as his motherly figure ran on. He felt light-headed, and his claws were quivering, but that didn't stop Ygraine from continuing to run. After minutes, or hours, she finally felt her legs give out, and she hadn't the slightest clue where they had gone. Ygraine collapsed, and Qafiel fell from her dry maw. He stood up, and hurled up what little food he'd consumed all over the forest floor. Ygraine, exhausted, hadn't noticed as she had nearly blacked-out from all the strain she'd endured. This was extended by Qafiel, who after having just vomited, felt hungry again, and on top of that, felt the pain in his injury start to take effect. The claws of the ape that had attacked him must've been infected, for he felt the raking start to itch uncontrollably. As if a parasite was digging into his skin, he was being eaten from the inside. However, given the state of the apes, there very well could've been a parasite hiding in their fur.

With an empty stomach, an infected wounded, and hopelessly lost in the forest, Qafiel felt the weight of his circumstances seeping in like sap from a tree. He stumbled over to the semiconscious Ygraine, and pushed on her head, trying to vitalize her. "Ygraine!" He whimpered her name. "Ygraine, please!" Tears started to form, but they never found the strength to roll down his cheeks. "Ygraine…" the passion had disappeared from his voice. Ygraine was too weak to care for him any further that night, he'd have to hold out until morning on his own, as he had before. With nothing to say, and nowhere to go, Qafiel curled up into Ygraine's side and lay there, broken and starving. He hoped for a miracle, and could only wait to see what the dawn would bring.

…

As the sun started to rise over the valley, Qafiel realized that he'd gotten no sleep. He thought it was painfully ironic that the deepest sleep of his life had then been followed by the lightest. The poor dragon could hardly move his legs as he saw the light coming in over the trees, and the marks on his shoulder had only swelled more. It was weakening him, that much he could tell; he needed to at least try and remain strong. That was what Ygraine had done for him, and this was his chance to return the favor. Ygraine, who had long since fainted from the previous night's excursion, lay motionless on the ground. She was breathing, bit it was difficult to tell if she was tired or completely fatigued. The night before, she'd been fatigued, but this morning was anyone's guess. Qafiel watched her as her chest expanded and decompressed time and time again. He couldn't think clearly, because his stomach growled all the more loudly. He needed food, but the question was where he was going to find it.

The brave purple dragon called forth what little strength he had remaining and called it into his legs, and though he wobbled, he could stand up. When he sniffed to look for something edible, the first smell to cross his path was the putrid smell of his own mucus dripping from his maw. The smell reminded him of his own defecation, and it wasn't long before poor Qafiel realized that not only was his wound infected, it had also gotten him sick. To the adolescent dragon, everything started to make sense. All he'd endured the previous night and that morning led to the realization that he had come down with some wretched affliction cast onto him by those mongrels. Qafiel wanted to roar in anger, for he'd been rendered even more helpless. Both his mind and body had begun to work against him, and his morale slowly drained like a river delta. He started to pant, and each breath came out raspier than the last. His sight began to fog up, but all the same he refused to admit defeat so easily.

Qafiel hobbled through the trees that surrounded him, and he nearly crashed into multiple objects. Swaying in a crooked line, the dragon felt like his lungs tightened under the strain, and soon it was as if someone had wrung out his throat. Qafiel's eyelids became heavy, and though he drudged through the forest looking for something to consume, his mouth slowly lowered inch by inch. Pools of saliva dripped from his waning jaw, and each step shattered what little resolve he'd stored. Though his hearing was weakened, he could still listen as the forest came alive in the early hours of the morning. In countless directions, he heard many a creature spring forth and begin to abound. A twig snapped; something was headed for him.

The sound charged him like a wild boar, and he almost fell over from the sheer fright of what it could've been. With a cloudy haze forming in his fledgling eyes, he saw several blurry figures coming at him from a dozen-or-so yards ahead. They appeared to be running, and Qafiel's heartbeat started galloping out of his chest. He couldn't move his legs, they refused him. The shadowy images running at him grew steadily bigger while Qafiel's fear escalated, and soon he was naught in the face of the distress building up inside him. The welling enlarged, and from within him erupted a resounding roar. The sound rattled through the branches of the forest; pulses fired in every direction. Qafiel saw the figures stop, likely to cover their ears. He felt proud, victorious, but it wasn't enough to stop him from collapsing. He felt his head crash against the earthy dirt beneath his feet, and his eyes closed faster than a thunderclap. The world had faded, he was helpless.

…

"Get over here, he's waking up…" Qafiel heard someone say, though it was muffled by a splitting pain on his shoulder. The light weaving back through his eyes blinded him, and the world appeared to him a wide array of fuzzy sketches. For the adolescent dragon, he could hardly tell a tree from a cloud, and the many voices crossing his path only added to the bewilderment.

"Qafiel? Qafiel…it's me…" The distortion was unparalleled, but all the same Qafiel could identify that voice anywhere: Ygraine.

"Y-Ygraine? W-Where am…what…" He hadn't sat up, and he could feel that he was lying on his side. From what he could tell, he was placed on something smoother than dirt. If he was correct in his assumption, Ygraine had laid out a makeshift bed of leaves and other foliage. By no means was it comfortable, but there wasn't much else to be done with the materials available. Though Qafiel couldn't see very well, there were other voices drowned in with the mix he could clearly appoint.

"What is the nature of his affliction?"

"He'd better not die." Ellevyn and Desma said, respectively.

"It's just an infection, he's lucky we found him when we did." Archer, yet another familiar voice.

The blue-coated cat leaned over his young acquaintance, smearing some funky smelling goop into Qafiel's wound. The receiving dragon didn't shudder; he was too tired to react. When Archer was done, he wiped his fingers on his cloak, and then he turned to Ygraine. She was standing to his immediate left, and one could tell from the look in her eyes that she was far more eager to learn of Qafiel's condition. Archer nodded, signifying that with some rest, Qafiel was going to be alright. Naturally, that wasn't enough for Ygraine.

"Archer, what happened?" she asked him. Her eyes blinked excessively, and his chest expanded as she asked the question. The Fire Guardian was clearly concerned, but Archer was quick to harmonize her mind.

"It seems like he got into a bit of a scrap with one of 'em monkeys. Probably had some sort of nasty critter crawling around in its fur. It got the ape infected, so when it scratched Qafiel, he got infected. Not only that, but since the ape cut into his shoulder so deep, we're more than likely going to have to bleed him a bit as to get all of it out. Given that this sat untreated overnight, it probably worked its way well through his system by now." Ygraine shook her head in wake of Archer's diagnosis. She felt as if she'd failed to protect Qafiel, and she grunted in obvious frustration.

"How foolish of me. I shouldn't have collapsed like that. Qafiel needed me, and I abandoned him."

Ellevyn heard his teacher confess her despair, and he was swift to reconcile her. "Ygraine, it was not your fault. It is impossible to treat someone before you treat yourself. Besides, you heard what Archer said. With a little bed rest, and a bit of bleeding, Qafiel will make a full recovery."

Ygraine smiled at Ellevyn, but his condolence wasn't as inspiring as he'd hoped it to be. Her smile melted, and it was replaced with a scowl. "Ellevyn, rest isn't something we can do right now. We've been unbelievably lucky to have a respite this long. Those apes have likely been searching for us the entire night, picking us off one at a time. Oh, this was so ignorant of me. I never should have brought my students to the Valley without making sure it was safe." Archer patted her shoulder, and then his comically high-pitched voice pierced her disparity.

"I've seen those kids hide, Ygraine. I doubt those apes have found any of your rascals. We're probably the only ones, and that was more my fault."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" asked a secretly panicked Desma. The fear she felt, while not present on the surface, lingered powerfully in her emerald eyes. Everyone around could see it, even though they knew that she'd never admit to being afraid out loud. Ygraine draped her left wing over her young pupil, and attempted to summon a sincere smile despite the circumstance.

"We need to rally with Falconer and the other cheetahs, together we should be able to take back the village. Fear not, dear Desma. We may be outnumbered, but that is the only strength the apes have, numbers. Even you students outmatch them in every way. You are the better fighters."

All listeners took Ygraine's words to heart, especially Qafiel. He lay on the ground still motionless, but most of his sensations had started to return to him. The first sense that fully came back was his sense of smell, and the first smell was that of the mucky goo Archer had placed on his wound. The scent wafted in circles around his nostrils. Besides making him want to heave, the smell refused to leave, and thusly it lingered by his nose. Soon, the purple dragon could move his toes, and then his wings started to twitch. He could only move it in centimeters first, but after a short time he could flick it about in spurts. Desma saw this, and soon so did the rest of his group. Ygraine was the first to circle around him and help him sit upright. She gently pushed on his left shoulder, and while it pained him, Qafiel bit his lip and swallowed the sting. Ellevyn nudged him from the back, pushing up from under his tail. Desma and Archer grabbed his head, Desma from the chin and Archer from the horns. Not long after, Qafiel was on his feet, wobbling uncontrollably, but on his feet nonetheless. He breathed. The rasp from earlier still clung to his throat. He sounded hoarse, but nevertheless he could speak.

With that, it was jointly decided that they should move stealthily around the Valley of Avalar, and try to rally with the others. Qafiel, still a bit rickety, was moved onto Ygraine's back, and there he remained for the majority of the morning. Along the river, Archer told Ygraine and Qafiel the tale of what had happened to them after they fled the Village, and how they came to find the two of them. The story was a fascinating one, and it ended with Archer detecting the sound of a creature in distress, which unsurprisingly was Qafiel and his heavy breathing. He also confessed to being terribly frightened by the dragon's roar shortly before passing out, but the three had a good laugh about it before they hauled him back to Ygraine's unconscious body. The Guardian woke up shortly afterwards, and then they simply waited for Qafiel to come back to them. The morning sun still had transformed into a midday sun by the time they made their way down the river, and they soon decided to stop in a small forest enclave near the hidden passage.

Desma stretched her wings, despite not using them all day, and Ellevyn stole a number of thirst-quenching gulps of water from the river. Qafiel slid off Ygraine back, tail first, and then she did her best to help him regain his strength.

"Qafiel, any better?" He picked up his head slowly, but he tried to hide his weaknesses with a fragile grin.

"I'm alright, Ygraine. Just a little bit hungry," Not a moment afterwards his condensed stomach growled. It sounded like a fox, attracting attention from all that heard it. Qafiel was a bit embarrassed, but Ygraine still maintained her motherly composure and nodded at her adoptive child.

"Very well, I shall find food for you then. Wait here," she said and turned to the Wind and Earth dragons present, "Ellevyn, Desma," and they heeded her call. "Watch over Qafiel for a little while. I'll try to find us all something to sustain ourselves for the upcoming skirmish." The pupils nodded, and they nestled in around their purple friend. Archer continued to patrol by the river, watching out for any sign of trouble while Ygraine snuck away into the brush.

The sun had hardly moved at all by the time the Fire Guardian had returned, but she came bearing no gifts. She expressed her regret, and promised to try again. Before the display went on much further, Archer, who'd overhear the situation, offered to trade places with Ygraine. His knowledge of the Valley enabled him the better odds for finding food for the lot of them, and Ygraine could take lookout duty instead. The dragoness agreed. Archer gathered his supplies, as he'd set them down earlier. He sauntered into the forest with a piercing glare plastered to his feline face. None dared to break his concentration. As Ygraine walked along the river, looking out for any sign of the other cheetahs, she could see smoke rising into the air from a westerly direction. She wasn't sure if it could have been residual from the previous night's attack on Cheetah Village, and she therefore kept silence. Behind her, the three younger dragons chatted endlessly.

"How is my friend feeling now?" asked a repetitive Ellevyn.

"No different than I was thirty seconds ago when you asked me then," answered Qafiel.

"Quit pestering him, Ellevyn. And keep your voice down. The more you nag him, the more likely those apes are to find us."

"Those things hardly seemed correlated." He replied.

"Stop using big words!" She blustered. Both drakes glowered at their teammate, for this time the noise had come from her. Even Ygraine paused to scowl at Desma for the outburst. She didn't apologize. Desma was far too headstrong for that.

A rattling sound came from the bushes in the woods near the young dragons, and Ygraine was the first to respond. Ellevyn and Desma went to guard Qafiel while the grown dragoness charged the treeline. Her sight narrowed and her claws stood ready. Everyone was so quiet in anticipation that they could hear the wind precisely cutting through the frail valley air. Tensions rose, but for naught. From within the thicket came a blue blob quavering into the clearing with an armful of roots. Ygraine was not pleased.

"Archer!" she snapped at him as silently as she could. "Give us a signal next time you approach. I could have doused you in flames."

The coy cat grinned from ear to ear. His flickering ears laid back. One could tell he was expending considerable effort not to laugh. Following this obnoxious motion, he dropped his cache onto the grass and crossed his arms. Archer looked directly at Ygraine with a raised brow; he'd had it all planned out. "But then my gifts would not have been as inspiring." All the present dragons were muddled by the cheetah's declaration, but all became clear as he put two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

From with the greenery of the thicket, the dragons saw dozens of sets of ears pop out from the bushes. Some fell from trees, and other lingered in the brush. Dozens of cheetahs sprouted from the forest like spores, and Qafiel especially was in awe of their tenacity. Their leader, Falconer, was among the first to emerge. As he strode from the shadows of the trees, a welcoming breeze glided across his auburn-colored fur. To Qafiel, it was as if Theos had died and been reincarnated as a cat. His cloak stretch from his shoulders down to well past his tail, and it shined a bright, leafy green color. It was perfect for blending into the forest. His feet and wrists were wrapped in gauze, likely from sustained burns, but he still carried a nutbrown longbow in his right hand. Truly, he was a sight to see. Falconer's eyes, also a leafy green, locked firmly with Ygraine's, and he moved towards her with due haste. Upon reaching her, he stopped and placed a closed left fist onto his chest and bowed to her.

"Mistress Ygraine, I apologize for the scare. We could not take the risk of revealing ourselves too early. That is why we sent Archer ahead, as a sign we were not apes." Though Ygraine was not pleased that they'd been snooping around in the brush, she was in fact relieved to have it be the cheetahs and not the apes.

"I supposed there was no conflict as result. You're forgiven, Falconer."

"Thank you humbly, Ygraine. As Archer said, we come bearing gifts. Food, armor, and other supplies we may need. Feel free to use of what you have needed. What's our, is yours." And the cheetah chieftain bowed to the dragoness once more. Out of respect for his leadership and kindness, Ygraine returned the gesture.

"Your generosity is a gift of its own. You've my deepest thanks." As she finished, she turned to the three dragons huddled together by the river's edge. "Qafiel, Ellevyn, Desma, are you all still hungry?" They nodded, and Falconer gestured for them to come over and greet the other cheetahs.

The Wind and Earth dragons helped Qafiel to his feet, though he hobbled most of the way over. By the time he'd reached Ygraine and Falconer, he was forced to lie back down from the strain on his legs. Ellevyn and Desma were dismissed to enjoy the food and company brought by the tribe's hunters. Qafiel remained to introduce himself to the great cheetah chieftain. He wasn't sure what he should say. He'd never needed to greet one who was essentially royalty among his kind, and so he copied his surrogate mother's methods. Closing his eyes, he tucked his head and paid his respect.

"It's an honor to meet you, Chief Falconer. I saw you last night during the bonfire; I apologize for not introducing myself sooner." Qafiel felt furry fingers touch his chin. He opened his eyes and found Falconer staring at him affectionately. The cat raised Qafiel's head, and smiled.

"No need for that, young dragon. Not now at the least. I've heard much about you from Archer, and Ygraine. It is _I_ who should be apologizing for not greeting _you_ at an earlier time. However, as circumstances have demanded, we seemed to be at our backs. We truly must find a time for proper introduction when this crisis has been absolved." Qafiel nodded. Ygraine was pleased to see them getting along. "Now please, if you will excuse my bluntness. Ygraine and I must formulate our strategy." The dragon nodded, and the chief and Ygraine walked away out of earshot.

Other cheetahs surround Qafiel, offering him food and conversation. He thanked them, and he enjoyed their company. Soon enough, the remainder of the morning had flown before them, and the afternoon sun began to glisten above their weary heads. Thanks to the combined efforts of the many cheetahs stationed with the dragons, the few times that any apes patrolling the Valley had crossed their path, they were eliminated without delay. There were other parties sent out to bring back some of Ygraine's other students, and just like the cheetahs, many young dragons returned to their makeshift campground completely unscathed. They were all safe by the river, least for that time. Once the sky started dripping in orange and red, dusk had started to settle. Falconer and Ygraine had spoken long and hard about how they should go about taking back their village, and after much deliberation, they finally devised a seemingly ineffable plan of attack. With brimming confidence, the auburn chief and red dragoness marched back towards the others. The time had come to enlighten them.

"Younglings," began the Guardian, "Firstly, I cannot express enough how relived I am to see you all in the condition that begets you. However, as of now, we are still not safe. These warriors, our friends, have had their home stolen from them by the apes. I never had the chance to teach you of our history with these creatures, but now, perhaps a concise version is obligatory. You see younglings, long ago the apes had a fierce rivalry with the moles. As a result, the moles pleaded to its fellows, the dragons and the cheetahs, to aid them. The dragons, out of benevolence for all living things, were the first to heed the call. Together with the moles, the apes were forced to cease their attacks, and as a result, our great city of Warfang was built as homage to that friendship. The cheetahs, however, refused to take sides. That is until several decades later when the apes began to invade Avalar. The reason for this is still unknown, but the cheetahs, though prideful, have been forced to turn to the citizens of Warfang for aid in driving off these invaders. The residents of Avalar have been at odds with the apes ever since, and we've yet to see a decline in the ape's persistence. Although the Great Alliance of the Realm was formed as a result of this, the apes continue to harass our borders. That is why they have invaded once more, for they seek to claim what is not theirs." All of Ygraine's students remained in silence and reverence at the dragoness' tale. Her words were like a history book, without the long hours of fluff. "Students, I take full responsibility for everything that has happened to us on this venture thus far. However, in honor of our great friends, our most trusted allies, we simply cannot abandon them in their hour of need. This is far greater a test than any trial I could have surmised for the lot of you, but know this, should you all complete this, you will be more than just students. You will be more than learners, and more than children. Younglings, upon completion of this, you shall be heroes of the realm, champions to be adored. In the name of the Great Alliance, and for all our allies wrongfully slain this past night, you must join with us this day as we drive away this menace, and reclaim the homeland they love so dearly. Today, tonight, we become warriors!" The thundering roars coming from the inspired student drowned all the other noise coming from the Valley. The river's screech became a murmur in the face of the excitement bubbling through the young dragons' hearts. Ygraine had thoroughly inspired them, rightfully so.

Afterwards, the cheetahs went through the plan with the students and all the preparations began to fall into place. Qafiel sat by the river as his strength slowly returned, his mind had begun to wander. Ygraine had finished speaking with Archer and Falconer, and she noticed Qafiel planted riverside. Curious, she came up behind her pupil, but he winched as she approached. "I could hear you coming, Ygraine. You haven't the quietest step."

"I may have guessed," she said as she lay down next to him. "Something's on your mind, Qafiel?" He nodded. Ygraine nudged him carefully, and she placed her claw over him to comfort him. "Well, it's best to share secrets when they prove bothersome."

"It's not a secret, it's just that…" the poor dragon's mind had gone back to the ape invasion, and he'd started to question why they needed to be pushed out of Avalar. "Ygraine, I can't help but think about this attack from the apes' perspective." The listening Guardian's attention was snatched. She heeded further. "You say that the cheetahs suffered heavy losses, but so have the apes. I watched you personally take a few of their lives myself. If they're invading this valley, it must be for a good reason, yes? Why not make them our allies, instead of always treating them like enemies?"

The Fire dragoness shook her head, and sighed with regret. "Qafiel, you may not understand this, but some things aren't capable of reason. There have been several attempts on our part to try and compromise with the apes, but they do not respond to words, only violence. It's how they speak, and the language of violence is not one easily learned. It corrupts the speaker, darkens their heart. It's not a curse I'd wish on anyone. Not even my worst enemy."

An awkward silence lingered between them. Qafiel didn't quite understand, the thought made no sense to him. However, instead of questioning his mentor, he nodded and agreed. "Alright, I understand." The adolescent dragon couldn't argue with her, he didn't know enough to propose a solid counterpoint. Some part of him wished that he did, for despite what Ygraine said, Qafiel was well aware that for every action, there is an equally valid reason. He crossed his legs, and stared into the flowing water of the Avalar River. Ygraine could see his dismay, and so she draped her wing over him.

"Qafiel, a benevolent heart is inborn. Not everyone has it, but you do. I'm glad. Use it, spread it, share that gift. Only great things may come." The teacher saw Qafiel smile, and she leaned in and nuzzle him in a familial way. Qafiel's grin only strengthened as he returned the rub, gently grazing across the smooth tips of her red scales. For a moment, both achieved their own nirvana: mother and child.

"Mistress Ygraine," called a masculine voice. It was Falconer. "It's time," he said. Ygraine parted with Qafiel and stood up, facing the cat. She adorned a serious expression, and nodded.

"Qafiel," she said as Falconer walked away, "I want you to stay back for this. I do not believe you are strong enough for this fight. Not just that, I'd rather not have you do battle with an infection. Am I understood?" The youngling seemed defiant.

"But Ygraine, all the other students are going to fight with you. I'm already a bit behind everyone else, well, ahead actually. But I don't want special treatment just because you're taking care of me. I'm a survivor, I can do it."

"Qafiel…as your mother, you are staying here."

She said no more, walking off before Qafiel could say another word. The little dragon watched as she rallied with the battalion. Soon after, they vanished into the trees, leaving behind a handful of cheetahs to tend their injured. Qafiel looked upon them as if he were one of them, and refused to be grouped with their kind. The fire ignited in his heart, and it disgorged from his eyes. "No, I'm not weak. I will fight," he whispered. By sunset, the purple dragon had slipped away, and the attack party surrounded the village.

* * *

A/N: I deeply regret the bloated wait period between this chapter and the last one, and I will strive not to make the same mistake again. I won't bore you with excuses; just know that I will prevent such blunders in the future.


	7. Arc 1: Incarnation - Chapter 6

The Madness of Malefor

Arc 1: Incarnation

Chapter 6

Wind sliced through the rigidity of the attack party's demeanor as they waited on Falconer's signal to launch the assault. All throughout the group, paws were quivering; none were entirely sure of their plan's success. Even their great chieftain Falconer possessed some doubt as to the solidarity of the scheme, but he needn't show his concern, lest it fracture his troops' morale. Ygraine stood ready with the mass of cheetahs. Her heartbeat was steady as she anticipated the oncoming skirmish, and her eyes were fixated on the apes through the thicket. She'd been forced to tuck her wings close to her side to make room for the other warriors, and though it was quite the unpleasant feeling, she maintained her professional composure and remained silent. Falconer stood with his head and right paw down, ready to raise both at a moment's notice. He was waiting, waiting in an uneasy muteness that riddled his conscious. His left ear twitched, and his legs shuddered. The chieftain felt his tail begin to flicker, but that was only the beginning of his descent. He knelt closer to the ground, the party at his back stood ready, and he heaved. It was croaky, like he'd inhaled smoke. He'd kept it to himself, for he didn't want his people to see his gut churn. Ygraine, though, had noticed. In mindset only, she shared his confusion and disparity. But yet these premonitions were merely leaves in the wind compared to the task before them. Certain or not, there was going to be an attack that night, a spectacle, and no amount of indecision was going to deter them.

In a bushel of fieldgrass not far from them, another attack party, composed of one, slinked through the dimly lit forest. Qafiel crawled quickly like an insect in the direction of Cheetah Village, but he was careful to stay a good distance behind them so that he was not detected. The dread he felt as the space between him and the village closed was not a foreign one. He'd felt it before, many times. All those nights he'd spent alone in the swamp, not knowing how he'd gotten there or why, it was the very same notion. The same terror that had kept him awake for so many nights had found a way to crawl back up his rubbery spine, but now the stakes were far higher. Back then, Qafiel was alone and was left to face the world with nothing to lose except himself; now there was far more to lose. Ygraine, Ellevyn, Desma, and the rest of them, each one had worth to Qafiel, and not something of which he could easily let go. They were more than tokens, more than trivial idols, they were friends. The impression of losing Ygraine, or any of the others, was a thought most filthy. Qafiel denied it influence on his resolve.

Within minutes the village had come into view, and the sun's rays had begun their last dance of the day. Wind swept past Qafiel as he raised his head over the flora that surrounded him; he needed a peek at the condition of the situation. From where he stood, there was indeed commotion in the village, but all he heard was a series of grunts and yowls. The apes had yet to be driven out; the incursion wasn't rectified. This was both a savory and rancid taste in Qafiel's mouth. It meant that Ygraine had yet to battle, but it also didn't guarantee her safety once she had. He knew better then to call out for her, because then their position would be exposed and he'd likely be spotted. Though he possessed a vantage point, there was nothing that could be done from where he stood. All the adolescent could do was wait, writhe.

A pattering rumble rose from the ground and contacted Falconer. He felt the earlier magnitudes of it as his feet trembled. The quake had come from the village, and the commotion within. The apes were running rampant, likely decimating everything that the cheetahs had built. It had to have been that, or they were starting to build their own settlements. If there was one thing to be certain, it was that if they were starting to build, it meant that they intended on staying. While it was merely a hunch, Falconer couldn't let it faze him; there was no time for that. Regardless, by day's end, the onslaught was going to commence, and the cheetah could feel the mass behind him growing antsy. Ygraine feared that it would cause Falconer to act in a rash manner, but all the while she stayed silent.

Drips of sunlight evacuated the sky, and with their evanescent presence the fracas had been initiated. "Archers…fire!" bolstered the chieftain.

From within the trees, a dark cloud of arrows emerged from the leaves and cascaded down onto the village. Everyone nearby heard the panicked screeches of the apes as they ran amuck. Falconer dropped his fist and gave the cry to charge. Hordes of the cheetahs erupted from the woods, their weapons failing like wind chimes in a thunderstorm. Ygraine led the barrage with Falconer, and her roar resounded off the wood walls of the village. Her red scales glowed in the dusklight, yelling her defiance in a way her roar never could. The first wave of flames spewed from her mouth and masticated the first wall before them. The flames toppled the wall, and the coalition swarmed the perimeter. Another volley of arrows flew from the branches, and many more of the apes were forced to flee. Naturally, not all the apes inhabiting the reclaimed village fled so easily. In troops of their own, dozens of apes took up arms and charged the cats right back. Yowling more loudly than they had before, they rushed to meet their repatriation. Falconer bellowed, as did the rest of his clan, and the sounds of clashing metal echoed across the valley.

Qafiel lay stunned in the brush, horrified by what he was hearing. For minutes on end all he could do was stare at the carnage unfolding before him. Bloods, torrents of it, flew in a spectrum of directions. The sight made his stomach wriggle, and with that came a deadly dryness in his throat. He hadn't blinked, for he was far too engrossed in the savagery demonstrated. Qafiel was solidly stunned by the situation, but it hadn't changed one thing. Ygraine, the only other creature to ever acknowledge him, was in danger. She needed his aid, likely more than he needed hers, and that was the strongest feeling of all. It burned within the purple dragon and seared itself into his soul. The debate had ended.

The beast was born.

A suppressed rage boiled in Qafiel's innocent eyes as he emerged from the brush with his wings spread. From the depths of his respiratory system came a bellowing boom, and the succeeding roar hadn't fallen on deaf ears. The apes, cheetahs, and Ygraine alike stopped in their tracks and tried to pinpoint the sound, and all eyes turned towards a single purple blur running towards the village walls. Ygraine saw that it was Qafiel, but somehow he was different. Horror was the least of what she felt as she watched her student sprint head-on in the fray; she was more taken aback by the fierce look in his eyes. Ygraine could hear Qafiel snorting like a crazed bull as he tore his way towards the village: it petrified her. Without enough time to blink, the purple dragon burst through the village entrance behind a mass of apes and growled. The apes, while secretly impressed with his brutality, yowled their dissatisfaction with his debut, and one by one they charged him.

"Qafiel…!" Ygraine screamed, but it was unnecessary.

The first ape jumped into the air, bearing its claws and snarling at Qafiel, but he sidestepped and the ape was planted on the ground. Qafiel hopped onto his back and snapped its neck with one swift bite. He'd never been taught how to do that, but anger is a fine mentor. The next apes came in pairs, but Qafiel jumped over their heads and swiped them away with one blow of his long tail. Each one was tripped, and each cheetah could hear their legs shattering under the force of the blow. The monkeys squealed, as if their arms had been twisted off, and lay there crippled by their young foe. The following ape pulled out a mace and started swinging it at Qafiel, but the dragon stood on his hind legs and flapped his wings in the direction of his opponent. A strong gale swept through the village, knocking the ape of his feet. Qafiel ran at him as the ape flew backwards, and in a moment Qafiel had blinded him. Blood dripped from Qafiel's claws as he wiped away the dislocated eyes from his forelimbs, and the defeated ape stumbled around howling. Ygraine was mortified by what Qafiel had done. The cheetahs cheered their ally on, but to Ygraine it was mute. Her own heartbeat drowned all other sounds, listening only to the noise generate by the bloodlust of her pupil. Each rake, scratch, and maim became a ripple in the pond of her heart, and he hadn't relinquished her.

The next apes that charged Qafiel all met the same fate, with each one meeting its maker. One had been disemboweled, the other had gotten a ruptured rib, and the next took Qafiel's horns to the chest. A trail of death followed Qafiel as he moved through the village, toppling one ape after the next. He wasn't thinking, and he wasn't training; he was just acting. His ancient instinct, the one that knew how to fight, had taken over completely, and the rage of the ancestors doused his every strike.

The cheetahs countered the masses of remained apes as a few dozen followed Qafiel onto the upper parts of the fence that surrounded the village. Falconer led the charged and called out for his troops to show no mercy. The apes' clubs and the cheetah's sword decorated the twilight sky with a metallic resonance, each clang reverberating throughout the valley. A group of apes ran at Qafiel as he backed up on the fence, but instead of cowering he leapt into the air and pounced on their heads. He mauled the first one's head, drenching his chest in fresh blood. The second one bailed and jumped over the side of the fence, but his escaped was short lived as Archer took aim at him. The cat let his arrow fly, and the ape was on the ground half a heartbeat later. The last few apes were toppled by Qafiel's roar, sending them into a panic as they ran away from him. Morale had risen for the residents of the village, but the feeling was not shared by the Fire Guardian. She couldn't blink, for she was too engrossed in the gore that was Qafiel's bloodbath. The timid broodling that she had rescued from the swamp only a day prior had turned into a berserker. The images before her couldn't be processed, and she continued to stand motionless. Watching, she was made dumb.

Minutes after the apes had begun to flee from within the walls of the village. The cheetahs cheered and growled at their victory, but someone hadn't had enough. In the blackness of the young night, Qafiel stalked the apes further into the forest. He couldn't see them, it was too dark. All he could do was hear them, but that had been more than enough. One by one he listening to their footsteps as they helplessly ran through the forest, trying desperately to escape the rabid dragon cutting them down. But to no avail.

Qafiel jumped onto one's back and gores its neck, flinging its skin into the grass. The next one he chased met the sharper end of his left horn. The ones that succeeded all became acquainted with Qafiel's tail. Like the ones that had come before them, their legs were broken, as were their lives. Soon Qafiel had downed more than he'd cared to remember, and under the glow of the moon he came to a clearing.

The trees herded him, and the light from the moon above blazed through the grass. Qafiel stopped, his legs were tired. He'd gone for almost a full twenty minutes of nonstop slaughter, and only now had his mind and body reunited. His cuts and bruises began to ache, and his legs started to quiver. Qafiel had been so caught up in his adrenal-filled attack that he'd become discombobulated. He became dizzy. His eyes spun in an array of direction, but all the same dozens of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the brush.

Apes of all the sizes had enclosed Qafiel into the clearing; a clearing they had intended on making his tomb. Qafiel's eyes had once burned with passionate rage as he'd cut them down, but there he was an asteroid on a collision course with disaster. Some of the apes foamed at their mouths, eager to exact revenge on their purple menace. Others swung their maces violently in a grand display of their strength. They had no intentions of giving him a swift death. He was going to be made to answer for the butchery he'd wrought.

The first ape, a large gray one, smashed his mace down onto Qafiel's tail. The dragon felt the bone crack before he heard it, and the howl of pain following penetrated the night. The next apes swarmed him and mangled his wings with a flurry of wild swipes. Qafiel experienced every single rip made into his wings as they climbed onto him and tore them apart. All the same he couldn't fight back. The next apes grabbed Qafiel by his neck and hurled him across the field, slamming him into the trunk of a fully grown tree. The sound of Qafiel's spine pounding against the bark sounded like a corroding stone, and in the same moment he was on the ground motionless. His attackers surrounded him again, satisfied with their revenge, but all that was left was the finishing blow. With raked wings, a shattered tail, and a paralyzing wound on his back, the dragon was completely helpless. The last ape raised his mace to clobber the dragon's head, to smash it like a raw egg, but a bright flash blinded him.

All the apes covered their eyes. None wanted to be disoriented by the resonating glisten emanating from the base of the tree. They tried to see what happened, but to their horror the light was emitting from their victim. Qafiel singed with a bright violet flame coming from his eyes, and soon the rest of his body was engulfed. The apes felt the heat coming from their prey, their murderer. Qafiel, suddenly filled with dormant strength, rose from the edge of the forest and jumped over their heads. Though his body remained damaged, he hurt no longer. Even with all the skin peeled from his wings, he started to flap and rose into the sky above their heads. He was about three meters off the grassy earth. They stared, not knowing what was going on, but they needn't wonder about it for long.

A pillar of purple light descended from the sky and crashed down onto Qafiel and consumed him, filling him with the power of annihilation. Ygraine, the cheetahs, and the rest of the dragons witnessed the spectacle as the purple light decimated the blackness that had previously occupied the sky. It looked like purple veins had been stretched across black skin. The glow radiated, and created as much wonder as terror. No one witnessing the phenomena knew what was happening, but at its epicenter, Qafiel was about to rain down destruction onto his assaulters. The light in which he was trapped flowed through him and poured out from his injuries, healing them, infusing them shut. Restored, the dragon gazed down upon the apes from within the light, and through the sounds of energy bouncing all around him, his anger surfaced. The apes could see his eyes surrender all mercy, leaving only barbarity in its wake. He was going to kill them, slaughter them, and they knew it. Terrified the apes started to run in a futile attempt to escape their fate, but Qafiel's rage knew no bounds. He thrust his wings outwards and roared, sending a showering of cascading purple light down over the entire valley, disintegrating everything it touched. The cheetahs were sent into a panic, and the dragons scurried to find cover. Qafiel's light engulfed the entire forest and obliterated it, leaving behind a maze of blacked trees and ashes that had once been bones. Meteors of the dragon's light continued to bombard the rest of the valley. Dozens more of trees were pulverized in the shower, forcing the cheetahs into exodus. Running for their lives they abandoned the village they'd worked so hard to claim, and the young dragons flew out of the valley in a slim chance at survival. The whole valley had been decimated by Qafiel's light, his ultimate power. His fury.

Through the desolation, Qafiel's anger thrived. This caused a wave of purple energy to repel from his levitating being and shoot out across the land. Anything that had survived the initial barrage was coated in a bright surge of light, and in its path there was nothing left. Where Qafiel had been hovering in the center of the large purple beacon, where once vegetation had sprouted, there was only a gray crater. The ground directly beneath him had succumbed to his rage and mirrored his anger in a grand display of black cracks, like broken glass. The surrounding treeline had been blown away, and debris continued to fall all around the dragon as he, at last, slowly lowered back down to the ground. His power gushed, and he was spent.

Qafiel hadn't understood what had befallen him. One moment he was being attacked by a horde of savage apes, and then the next he felt rejuvenated, powerful, but above all else, angry. Now he'd been expended, just in a different manner. Qafiel came back to his senses as his claws touched the barren ground that had once been fertile soil. It felt like he was walking through grimy water, for it was thick and scattered. Qafiel, with a blistering headache and fatigued body, stumbled around and he soon collapsed. Never had he been so tired, so drained. It was as if someone had yanked the essence of life right out of him. The weary dragon could hardly keep his eyes open. As he inhaled, freshly scorched ash explored his nose. He began to wheeze and hoark on the evidential remnants of his rage, and it burned his throat as it travelled closer to his lungs. His eyes became weighted, while the glimmering purple light faded into the sky. Blackness returned to the air, and it covered Qafiel like a blanket. With a sigh, Qafiel stole a last glance at a large red figure walking towards him from the distance. He could barely see her, but he knew that it could only be her.

"Y-Ygraine…" and he fainted, once more.

Ygraine arrived in the clearing, staring at her pupil. The shock and awe she had felt previously had subsided, for then she'd only felt sympathy. Her Qafiel, her student and adopted, had demolished half the valley, killing many living things in the process. Not only that, but he'd torn through so many apes that she'd lost count, and then chased after them even in retreat. Ygraine was conflicted, but her resolve remained unshaken. She sniffed the air once, foul like charcoal, and walked to Qafiel's unconscious body. This wasn't the first time he'd been this way. Matter of fact this was the state in which she was attuned to finding him. Ygraine tried to smile the best she could, and curled up around him. She lifted his head, getting it out of the ash so that he could breathe easier. She then tucked them under her wings and stayed there. There was no sense in flying, it would kick up too much ash. All that was to be done was to stay still. Given the size of Qafiel's light, citizens from all over the realm likely saw it, including Theos and the other Guardians. She would wait for them, she would be patient. She needed to, for Qafiel.

…

"An outrage, a menace! That dragon's a walking cataclysm!"

"That's a bit harsh, Theos. It's clear he had no control of what he was doing." A peeved Ygraine argued in the defense of Qafiel.

"Harsh? HARSH!? Harsh, Ygraine, is what that irregularity has wrought upon the Valley of Avalar! Harsh is what your Qafiel did to those apes! Harsh, Ygraine, is one of the kindest words to use. I've considered using many, many more. Shall I list them?"

"I think that will be unnecessary, Theos," said a nonbiased Raiz. "Try your best to remain calm. Nothing will be accomplished if you go about this in a hotheaded manner." The Guardian of Electricity tried to ease their honcho, but it was barely making a dent in the Earth dragon's passion.

"How can I not, how can _any_ of you, not go about this in such a manner? You all do realize what we're discussing here? We're discussing the dilemma of how we're going to deal with the adolescent that levelled half of the Valley of Avalar in a manner of seconds. Ygraine," and the three Guardians all looked upon her as Theos focused her attention to him. "You were the one that brought him to our temple in the first place…"

"He's only been here a day, Theos." Ygraine remained unmoved.

"And just look what he's managed to do in that time…!" hollered the angry Earth dragon. Theos' wings became riled and started to twitch as he spoke to Ygraine. "Someone must be made to answer for this atrocity, for endangering the lives of our students and our allies. Have you any idea what could have happened if the residents of Cheetah Village had been any closer to that blast? If our students hadn't been halfway across the valley?"

Mistral chimed in. "They would have been disintegrated. Consumed by that purple light."

"I'm aware of that," said Ygraine. "But they weren't. All my students, except Qafiel, stayed exactly where they were told."

"The debate in question," started Raiz, "is not about what _did_ happen, Ygraine. It's purely a hypothetical discussion. I agree with your earlier point. Tragedy was indeed avoided, but it is our jobs to ensure that our budding students aren't put into such circumstances in the first place." Ygraine remained silent as the judging eyes of Theos and Raiz scanned her. Mistral sat quietly. Internally, he was hoping for some way to support her. However, with Theos and Raiz breathing down her neck, he was forced to be silent until the opportune time. "You don't seem eager to speak to us, Ygraine. Is it the ash?"

"No, Raiz. I'm the Guardian of Fire, a little ash shan't deter me."

"Not you, I know. I was talking about Qafiel. How is the boy?"

"I can answer that," an anticipating Mistral said. He looked at Raiz and Theos, and Ygraine nodded to give him permission. "Ygraine and I have checked on him repeatedly since last night. His condition could be better; he's been coughing a lot. I think it's the ash. It must have circulated through his lungs. He's also been afraid to leave his room, likely worried that the other students will despise him."

"As they should," interrupted Theos.

"Theos, let him finish." Raiz pointed to Theos. The leader eased up a bit, and then Mistral continued.

"Ygraine was correct in what she'd said. We've asked the boy many times already about what happened, and he says he doesn't exactly remember. Most of what occurred between the forest and this morning, or so he says, is naught but a giant blur."

Theos wasn't satisfied. "Like I would believe that. No one could possess such power and be completely blind to its presence. He's probably playing dumb."

"Theos," interjected a daring Ygraine. "I believe this grand display of power explains many things we didn't know before." The three Guardians looked at Ygraine inquisitively. None of them was quite sure what she meant.

"Explain," said Raiz.

"Gladly," and Ygraine proceeded. "We wondered why he was in a swamp with no one around. We also know, from what happened last night, that Qafiel's survival instincts are more than potent. That blast he generated, along with the barrage, is likely hardwired into his being. He was put into a dangerous situation, and his power acted on its own. Almost as if," Mistral cut her off.

"You're going to say that it saved him?" Ygraine nodded. "Are you implying what I think you're implying, Ygraine?"

"I'm afraid so, Mistral. I believe that this power, whatever it is, may have a direct connection to Convexity."

"Preposterous!" snarled Raiz. "I hardly think it's possible for any dragon, purple or otherwise to have a direct connection with the power of Convexity. Just because it has long been thought to resonate in shades of purple, whilst protecting us from the Dark Realms beyond, that scarcely seems like enough evidence on which to make such an assumption. Have you gone utterly mad, Ygraine?"

"Quite the opposite, Raiz. I believe I've come to my senses. Why else would Qafiel be left alone in the swamp? Odds are, something forced Convexity's action, and the ensuing blast obliterated anything and anyone close to him. More than likely, that included…"

"His parents…" said a forlorn Mistral. The truth, though speculative, resounded through the discussion hall at the center of the temple. The Pool of Visions in the center of the room, around which they stood, sloshed its contents back and forth as a melancholic silence drifted about. For all the present Guardians, the certainty of their situation settled in like ants in a colony. "His power already seems to have taken away those dear to him. He'd no way of controlling it. If Ygraine is right, we may be able to show him how to direct it. As Guardians, is that not our occupation? Besides, if Qafiel does bring his unique abilities under control, he could very well become…not a cataclysm, but instead a savior. Dare I say, a type of guardian himself. He'd be a hero, an idol. Someone to watch over the races. With such an opportunity before us, would it be wise to waste it?"

One could easily see the conflict in both Raiz and Theos' faces. On one side of the debate, there was always the chance of Qafiel's power spiraling out of control as it already had. But on the other side, if Qafiel could be taught to harness his own abilities and use them for the better, the realms would be made a much safer place. None would dare cause mischief if someone like Qafiel was fighting on the side of good. He would be feared, as well as admired and respected. In short, the perfect sentinel.

"Theos? Your thoughts?" asked a decided Raiz. The Electricity dragon could see how infuriated the leader of the Guardians was, but all the same the chance at something beyond themselves also loomed precariously over their heads. Theos lowered his head, and with a hearted sight he'd been subdued.

"Raiz, friend, it seems you've already made up your mind. Have you not?"

"I do believe that I have. Qafiel, while impulsive and unrefined, could be the most important thing to cross our paths in this lifetime, or quite possibly the next. Such power cannot be contained naturally. I think many of the citizens of the realm would agree, better a power like that rest under our care than handled by the apes. They would twist it, contort it, and mangled it into a weapon of destruction. At least if we are the ones to train Qafiel, he'll have the necessary restrain, and he'll undoubtedly come to see his power as a gift, not a burden." Raiz completed his monologue, though Theos was unhappy.

"Ygraine," said the defeated Earth dragon, "you're in accord with this?" She nodded. "And you as well, Mistral?" The Ice dragon nodded as well. "Very well then, I suppose diplomacy rules. Under our guidance, Qafiel shall…continue his training. But at the very least, for my sake, shall we move him to a place where he'll be easier to manage?"

In Ygraine's room, Qafiel lay under the covers of her bed. His body had yet to recover from the previous night. A reputable smoothie of emotions churned inside of him as he shuddered under the bedding thinking of what horrible things the other students were saying about him. Not just the other student, but his friends too. Ellevyn, Desma, what had they thought of his display? Would they hate him? Could they ever forgive him? Qafiel didn't even want to think of Ygraine. She hadn't spoken to him since the previous night, and she'd had a meeting with the other Guardians once they'd been brought back to the temple by the other dragons. While Qafiel had been semiconscious, he'd heard bits and pieces of speech as he awoke half dazed once returning to the safe walls of the temple. He'd heard the other students walk by him, some of them huffed and others groaned. Injury was apparent, and Qafiel knew it was his doing. He was so ashamed to face them, so embarrass of the oncoming wake. The fathoms of despair reached so deep that Qafiel barely heard the door to the room creak open. Peeking out from the sheets, it was Ygraine. Mistral was with her.

"Y-Ygraine…I…I don't…" mumbled the adolescent.

"Qafiel, stay quiet. You'll exhaust yourself." Her voice was smooth, like a mossy rock after a light rainfall. "How are you feeling? Sleep well?"

Qafiel was genuinely confused by what had been said. He thought for sure that Ygraine, as well as Mistral, were going to be furious with him. Her sudden kindness was stifling, but he was too nervous to badmouth them. Instead, he retreated further into the bedding and meekly answered her from within the shell. "I guess I did. Sort of have a stomach ache, though."

"Mistral, would you mind going to storage and grab a few roots to settle that?" He nodded to her.

"Of course, Ygraine," and he turned around, swishing his tail through the air before vanishing down the hall.

Ygraine approached her bed and nestled in next to it. She looked over the bump under the bedding, the bump Qafiel's body had created. She tried to smile, but the strain of the prior discussion had drained her mentally. All the same, her affection was no less fostering. "Qafiel, you're not in trouble. Now come out from under there. Let me see those eyes." Hearing her words, though diffident, the bump crept from the center of the bed to the edge. From the side of the bedding came a narrow purple snout, and soon after the rest of the dragon emerged. His horns lifted up the bedding, and then they crashed down onto his neck. It made a soft beating sound, and then Qafiel was facing Ygraine with crossed claws. He mirrored her posture.

"I'm sorry for what I did, Ygraine. I really…"

Ygraine broke his apology. "Enough of that, Qafiel. You've already told us numerous times that you don't know what happened. Theos and Raiz may be skeptical, but Mistral and I believe you." Qafiel sighed, and Ygraine smirked. She could see her uncertainty, but she was swift to reassure him. "In fact, we've convinced the two of them to let you continue your training." The young dragon's face ignited with delight, and a strong passion irradiated from his eyes. "However, there's one condition." Ygraine's tone changed to a more profession manner, and Qafiel's eagerness dimmed. "Because we agree that the worse of your power is currently a little unmanageable, you'll have to be trained a little…out of the way, in case something goes wrong." The wisdom leaking from Ygraine's proposition flowed over to Qafiel. He felt angry, almost furious that he was being cast in solitary isolation, but yet he understood why. He acknowledged his hazardous tendency. He didn't want to see anyone else injured because of his lack of restrain.

"I…I understand. Where am I being trained then?"

"We're sending you to Warfang, the Dragon City. There an older temple on the outskirts of the city that would be ideal for training you individually until we can better accommodate you. I hear that plans for an underground training ground have already been issued, just for you. You may not realize this yet Qafiel, but you're going to be a very important dragon. Out denizens will need you to protect them. Do you think you can do that?"

Indecision loitered on Qafiel infantile face. What Ygraine had proposed was nothing short of a life-altering commitment. Yet inversely, the sound of hearing that people needed him was a foreign pleasure to Qafiel. He'd never thought he'd see the day that someone would say it. All the same Ygraine had given him the chance, and the purple dragon could feel the justice bubbling in his heart.

"…Yes…yes, Ygraine. I can…I will…!" Ygraine smiled at him.

"You know, you can call me 'Mother'…if you'd like." Tears swelled in both dragons' eyes, and Qafiel nodded.

"O-Okay," and they embraced.

As they hugged, they heard a knocking on the door behind them. Ygraine released Qafiel from the sanctity of her wings and found Mistral in the doorway clutching a claw-full of golden roots. He was smiling, and he laughed merrily before he spoke.

"I believe you know these dragons?" From under his legs came Ellevyn and Desma, both elated to see Qafiel, safe and unharmed. The purple dragon was perplexed by their presence, but he relished it all the same.

"You guys!" He hollered, salty tears traversing his face.

"Are you ailing at all, friend?" caringly asked Ellevyn.

"You'd better not be hurt, loser. No one with that kind of muscle should get his butt kicked." Both were the same as ever.

"No," whimpered an exultant Qafiel. "I'm not hurt. In fact, I've never felt better."

The four dragons all crowded around their little dynamo and embraced him. The group hug carried Qafiel away on a euphoric journey he hadn't experienced in years. The feeling of being loved, the sensation of family, it hadn't been given to him in so long he'd thought it would never be his again. But he had attained it. Despite all his power, all his struggling, Qafiel was safe and loved. With a new world ahead of him, and with new friends and family with which to tackle it, Qafiel could hardly wait for the dawning of the new day. The dawning of his new life.

* * *

A/N: And so ends Arc 1: Incarnation. I hope to release chapters more frequently during Arc 2 than I did here. Just as a heads-up any chapter completed, if finished early, will always be uploaded on a Friday. The first chapter of Arc 2 will be uploaded by next week, so look out for that, and as always thank you so much for the support and reviews. It means a lot. Thank you, and write on!


	8. Arc 2: Pariah - Chapter 7

The Madness of Malefor

Arc 2: Pariah

Chapter 7

Like how a tree starts from a humble seed and soon grows into a strong tree, so too did Qafiel grow stronger. In just a decade, the once timid adolescent had ripened into a brave and inspiring young adult. His transformation had started after he'd been moved to Warfang from the temple and began his rigorous training with the Guardians as time permitted. It started with just Ygraine, in showing Qafiel the ways of Fire. However, as their training continued, it became clear that something was different about Qafiel that the Guardian hadn't seen before. Not just in the sense that he could channel the energy of Convexity, but his power seemed more expansive. On a hunch, Mistral came forth to Warfang Temple and gave Ygraine a second opinion on the situation, only to discover that Qafiel wasn't just able to channel Convexity, but also breathe Ice. Upon further investigation, and with further training, Qafiel discovered that with guidance, he was able to breathe not just two kinds of elements, but all of them. Word of this phenomena spread like wildfire across the realm, and Guardians from all over the land congregated in Warfang to witness this discovery with their own eyes. For days on end following this find, Qafiel was dazzling dignitary after dignitary with this array of breaths, ranging from Fire, all the way to Wind. The excitement and wonder brimming in the land's Guardians was overflowing, and his status as not just a purple dragon, but _the_ purple dragon was quick established. As foretold, he'd become an icon, a symbol.

It was jointly decided that after he was finished training in the ways of Fire with Ygraine, that he ought to master the element of Ice with his mentor Mistral next. After that, he would learn Wind, and then Electricity, and he'd conclude with Earth. For years this continued; the purple dragon, whose raw power was unlike anything the world had ever seen, constantly learned and mastered each new element that was prompted to him. And his prowess didn't end there. After he'd honed his abilities with Earth, he began showing the potential to manipulate other elements that none had otherwise thought possible. It started with Poison, and then Water, and even Sound. Qafiel's power seemed limitless, knowing no boundary. His progress made the Guardians ecstatic. Qafiel's comprehension of the basic had been taken and transmitted in combat proficiency unlike anything the realm had seen before. Wasting no time, the Guardians across the realm began teaching Qafiel the secrets of elemental mastery, encouraging him to grow his power and control it. In time, that strength became his dominance, and it was after those ten long years that Qafiel's training was on the verge of completion, and his life on the verge of descent.

Qafiel's friends, Ellevyn and Desma, had long since completed their training alongside their friend, and they were his frequent sparring partners. Their constant exposure to his abilities and talents gave them a bit of an edge, allowing them to anticipate some of the purple dragon's movements. This aiding them in pushing Qafiel to his limit, and in exchange, fighting such a tough opponent gave the dragons a chance to hone their own skills as well. Undoubtedly, the three were the best of their class, shining brightly above all the others that had come from the same generation. Not long after their training finished, Ellevyn and Desma both permanently relocated to Warfang. Qafiel's pool of sparring partners soon dwindled, as many possible opponents were deterred by the mere notion of fighting the purple dragon. But Ellevyn and Desma, especially Desma, welcomed the challenge to spar with their old friend, and in just few short months the friendship the three once had was reignited to its former glory.

Ellevyn had grown much taller, taller than Desma, but about the same height as Qafiel. Desma had become more slender, and grew to be a very stunning Earth dragoness. However, she never once expressed interest in any romantic pursuits, and instead dedicated herself entirely to helping Qafiel train. Ellevyn had not only mastered his element, but also became a scholar, officially. There wasn't a single subject in which he wasn't proficient, and it made his fights with Qafiel all the more interesting. Qafiel himself had built up far more muscle than his companions, and it turned him into a target for many eager young dragonesses. However, Qafiel knew what he was fighting for, and disregarded all such attention. His horns had also sprouted, making way for a second and even a third set to grow from his head. In total, he had started with only two and ended with six. His wings had grown wider, and the gales they produced could blow down trees if he gave it enough power. Qafiel's voice, while initially the highest of the three friends, had deepened. It made him sound not like an adolescent, but like a mature drake. That voice coupled with his toned bulk and winning smile made him not just an impossible ideal for which to strive, but also a paragon of excellence. He had become unstoppable, and he'd had his friends and mentors to thank for it.

Since Qafiel had moved to Warfang to continue his training, the city had grown with him. When he'd first arrived it had a homely feel with a number of blocks composing of dragons as well as moles. By the time the decade had passed, the city had germinated into a fabulous metropolis, filled with creatures of all kinds and sprawling with skyscrapers and roadways. The citizens claimed that it was Qafiel that had brought so many people to the city, thus turning it into the capital that it had become. The idea that the city had flourished because of his presence was a flattering thought to Qafiel, and he accepted it humbly. With the power in his grasp, and the wind at his back, Qafiel was ready to complete his training. He was finally ready to master the power of Convexity.

Within the halls of the temple near the center of the city, the sounds of clashing claws rung through the empty hall. Inside the training room, Qafiel flapped his wings gallantly and rose into the air just in time to dodge a blast of wind sent at him by Ellevyn. The ensuing blast forced the doors to the room to open, and the bang that followed reverberated through the building. Desma sat on the side of the ring and watched the friends spar, impressed by each of their techniques.

Ellevyn hopped against the wall and narrowed his wings. He grasped onto the stone and prepared to leap from it and give direct force to his next blast. Qafiel turned from a previous roll and saw his friend mounted on the wall. Without notice, Ellevyn whipped up a spiraling gale and thrust it at Qafiel. Years ago, this would have been Ellevyn's endgame, but Qafiel was stronger, faster, and far more skilled than he had once been. Where once he would've been shaking in anticipating of the oncoming blow, he now saw an opportunity to turn the enemy's strike against them. Qafiel formed a sleek grin, and was careful to hide it from his foe. With the onrushing wind hurdling towards him, Qafiel let his wings fly open and let it blow him back. He was forced to the corner of the ring. All the way there, his claws were digging through the stone flooring, causing a pierce shriek to squeal through the room. Desma winced at the acute sound. After he'd been bluffed, Qafiel watched Ellevyn run along the wall with folded wings; the kind of wings most ideal for aerodynamic maneuvers. Ellevyn broadened his chest with confidence, but Qafiel was already a step ahead.

Using the leftover gusts from Ellevyn's last attack, Qafiel locked his wings in a peacock-like display. From there he flapped and made the wind start to spiral around him. A small twister appeared at the base of his tail, and it slowly engulfed him. Ellevyn continued to run, unfazed. Desma watched eagerly. Inside the whirlwind, Qafiel felt his throat chill, and from his mouth poured a glaze of ice that coated the wind. The windstorm became a blizzard, and with an extra push given to it by Qafiel's strong wings it rose into the air above the ground. It carried Qafiel with it. With a quick burst, and a howling roar, the icy gale had spilt, revealing dozens of icicles bulleting from within the cyclone. Qafiel had frozen the air, and then turned it into projectile shards. Ellevyn heard the icy daggers flying at him before he saw them, but his balance was disrupted as the fifth one to cross his path snared his foot. Ellevyn stumbled over his own speed and tumbled onto the stone floor. Above him, as he tried to recovered, the purple dragon had summoned another gale and circulated it. With an elegant spin, Qafiel thrust downwards and hurled himself like ammunition in an accumulative display of speed and grit. The Wind dragon tried to block the wind with his wings, but the blast came down like an asteroid. His wings were torn about in the whirlwind, and he was tossed across the room. The dragon hit the wall, bruising his white-scaled back. He'd become disoriented. Not that it mattered anyhow, the fight had concluded.

As Ellevyn's vision cleared, he saw two distinct figures approaching him. One was purple and bulky, the other green and visually grumpy. When his sight returned to normal, that was when the pain of his back settled in. He turned to look at it, to see if there was permanent damage, but to his relief it was just a brown spot from the muck on the temple walls. Ellevyn turned to his friends, and then he smiled at Qafiel. "Is that a new one?"

"Actually, yes," said the triumphant dragon. Qafiel was proud of his victory; each and every single one meant that he was improving. "Mistral showed it to me. He calls it the Icestorm. A simple name I know, but the name is trivial. The power of the move is something that took me a long time to control. But having been on the receiving end of it, I'm sure you've already guessed that."

"Yes…quite." Ellevyn shook his wings, as that last blast had made them sore. He was sure that wings were never intended to bend that way. Desma looked at the defeated dragon and giggled.

"That was a sorry ass display on your part, Ellevyn. I could've lasted longer than that." The Earth dragoness was prudent as ever, but the intellectual amongst them had more than a few witty comebacks prepared for such instances.

"Your last attempt says otherwise. After all, you were decimated in what…was it fifteen seconds?" Desma looked confused, and the vain dragon played his trademark. "Decimated: it means,"

"I know what it means! Ancestors Ellevyn! Are you ever going to stop that?!" She lowered her wings and snorted. The loose pebbles on the ground the dragons' match were kicked up, and Qafiel couldn't help but stand in-between them and laugh. He was glad that nothing had changed.

"Alright you two, that's enough. If I want to stand around and listen to bantering dragons I'll sit through another meeting with our northern dignitaries. Believe me, save yourselves the trouble." Ellevyn nodded, but Desma scoffed.

"Tch, whatever." Her abrasive nature made the dynamic between the three friends very well rounded, but everyone present knew she meant well. They liked her, more than they led her to believe.

"Ellevyn," said Qafiel. "Is that bruise going to impede your ability to fly?"

"I should think not. I promised Theos and the others I wouldd be there by midday, and so help me I will be there. I am nothing if not punctual," the confident dragon replied.

"Good, make sure to give them my love, remember?"

"Qafiel, this is a serious matter about which I must meet with the Guardians." The Wind dragon and purple dragon shared a nostalgic stare. "Of course I will tell them. I am not entirely sure why you need me to, though. Ygraine will be back in Warfang tomorrow."

"Oh, I can't help it, Ellevyn. It's been months since she was last here. I just get antsy when she's not around. She's the closest thing I have to a real parent, you know. I guess I just feel safer when she's in the city." From the unwise corner of their trio came a satirical laugh, and the dragoness from whence it came had a penny of wisdom for her purple friend.

"Safer?" Boasted Desma. "Dude, you're the purple dragon! Everyone in the realm knows not to screw with you. What could possibly make you feel threatened?" Though Desma's questioning was a little harsh, she had stumbled upon a very interesting discovery.

For some odd reason, Qafiel had been feeling a bit insecure about his position in the city. He'd known perfectly well that with the end of his training fast approaching, he'd soon be able to go out into the realms and provide a face to the name that the citizens had heard. It was a heavy burden, but he treated it like an honor. All the same he was beginning to feel worried that instead of respect, the people he sought to protect would shun him out of fear of his power. Naturally, he'd never tell his friends this. Each one had enough to worry about, he didn't want to bore them with his insecurities.

"It's nothing, Des. She makes me feel more confident, is all." Qafiel lied, but neither of his friends saw it.

"Well doesn't that make us feel loved?" Desma swayed her tail in a manner that matched her tone. She was cleared irked, but all the same Qafiel smiled.

"I know you guys love me, and I love you too. What I meant was," but Ellevyn interrupted him.

"Save the assimilations for another, preferably riper time friend." Both dragons looked his way. "Well anyhow, I must make haste. I vowed that I would not be late for our meeting."

Ellevyn and the other dragons with him walked out of the training room and made their way down the hall. Since Qafiel had moved in and began his training there, many eager onlookers scurrying to gain his favor had gifted him with paintings and decorative ornaments. Hundreds of these lined the walls, and the purple recipient was always casually glancing at them as he passed through the halls. It reminded him of his purpose, and despite his growing uncertainty, the memories created by looking their way always kept his spark alight. As the three walked, Qafiel hid a smile.

Once they arrived outside, the cool air from the early morning still clung onto the atmosphere. The small crisp molecules refreshed the air as Ellevyn turned around to his friends and spread his wings. Bidding them a proper farewell, along with vows to return post haste, he beat his wings and ascended into the air. Both Qafiel and Desma watched him fly off into the blue distance, and Qafiel sighed with distress. The Earth dragoness at his side wanted to speak, but instead she nudged her counterpart's shoulder and smiled once he turned to her. "Cheer up, Qaf. He'll only be a few days. Besides, this means we'll have more time to ourselves. I know that you never pass up a chance at solitude." Truth rung clearly in her words, for the purple dragon had taken an unhealthy liking to being left alone. To Qafiel, it was just relief from the constant publicity, and those fan-girling dragonesses.

"Actually, Desma, I needed to head over to the library before Ygraine and the others arrive. Since Ellevyn's already left, why don't we go together?" He was sincere, but he should have known that a building full of books was the last thing that Desma wanted to waltz into.

"Fat chance, bub. I'm gonna head over to the training hall and get some more practice in. If you wanna join me later, feel free." Desma turned her shoulder and walked back up the stairs. Qafiel watched her tail swish from side to side like a watch. It was mesmerizing. Desma sensed the glare, and she turned back around to find her friend scrambling to pretend he hadn't been staring. "Qafiel? Something you want to tell me?"

"No. Nothing. I might see you in the training hall later." Without another word, Qafiel climbed the air and was halfway across Warfang.

He set down on the steps leading into the library. It was a very large building. The structure had pillars coating its front entry way, and the entirety of it reeked of mole-like inspiration. Then again, most of the buildings in Warfang had drawn on their design from blueprints drafted by the moles. The purple dragon had always been humbled whenever he looked upon the mole's architecture, and the library was no exception. Walking into the front door, Qafiel did his best to quickly hide in the aisles of books, as not to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. Slinking through the books, he worked his way to the back corner of the library. It was dark back there, and he could hardly see in the dim light reflected off the shelves. Not that the lighting mattered, for Qafiel knew exact for what book he was looking. Coming to a golden plaque on the wooden aisle, Qafiel had located the right set of shelves, and scanned the spines of the books. On the third shelf up, he found it. Pulling it off the shelf with his fore-claw, he walked over to an open area and set it down on a table and flipped open the first page.

"Ah, _Tales & Legends of Convexity_. My favorite." He excitedly whispered.

Indeed, the encyclopedia had shown Qafiel many things about the mysterious airlock called Convexity, but because he'd yet to master all the other elements he was never taught just what it was. This book which he'd found though contained many speculative tales from over the years about the presence of Convexity and just from what it may have been protecting the realms. Something of notes that Qafiel found humorous was that it was a very old book. So old in fact that Qafiel couldn't turn any of its pages without fear of tearing them. He was gentle, as can be anyhow, when he flipped through the book the dozens of times that he had, and he'd at last gotten to the final chapter. As Qafiel read, he got visions of his own outburst a decade prior. Never once since that incident had the power of Convexity flown through him again, as if he'd expended all his might on that single blow. However, this conclusion was deemed illogical by the other Guardians. They thought for sure that it was no fluke. The young drake remained hopeful as the waning hours of the day slipped by in his black corner of the library. Page after page he anticipated the ending of this tale that he'd been invested in for so long, but the night grew too heavy. Qafiel's eyelid became like iron, weighing him down. He needed rest.

Qafiel closed the book and hobbled over to the shelf on which he'd found the read and returned it. From the depths of the library he emerged into the night, only to find a dimly lit sky. The stars glistened overhead, but it only encouraged weariness. Drowsy, Qafiel decided to walk back to the temple, despite that he nearly collapsed on the way there. Once inside he drudged up to his room and plopped onto his bed, thinking intently on his latest read from the book on Convexity. While unsure of what the power he wielded was truly capable, he knew that so long as he had the Guardians to train him and keep a watchful eye on his progress, only good would come. With this blissful thought, the drake drifted off into a much needed rest. And thereafter he dreamt; he dreamt of purple mist, and a distinct sound like hissing. He couldn't place it, but it persisted until knives of light cut through his window.

His eyes pulled open, and his head pulsed with blood. It was the first morning of his enlightenment.

Thrilled, Qafiel sprung from his sheets. They drifted onto the stone floor as he raced out of his room on the upper level of the temple and scrambled down the stairs. In his haste, he hadn't even noticed his stomach yowling with hunger. A hunger-deaf Qafiel burst into the main training room, and inside sat a grown dragoness. She was red, and had clearly aged gracefully. There were a few wrinkles present in her face, and her wings had become a bit tattered over the years, but she was the very same dragoness at heart. Her crimson scales had changed into more of a rose color, but all the same Qafiel knew her.

"Mother." Qafiel muttered as an elated breath danced from his lips. It'd been far too long since they'd seen one another. The purple dragon trembled as he stepped toward her, but the Fire Guardian's ever radiant smile beckoned him to run. Thusly, he did. He hurled himself across the training hall and threw himself into Ygraine's wings, embracing her like one embraces an old friend. The warmth spreading between them was instantaneous, and Ygraine developed a motherly smile.

"Hello, Qafiel. My son." Her head was tucked firmly into his shoulder, and he felt her breathing down his spine. Her breath was warm, like her smile, and he only returned the compassion. Ygraine separated herself from Qafiel, ending the loving entanglement. "I'm sorry I haven't made much time for you these last few months. Things have been senseless at the temple. We just got our newest wave of adolescents, and they're more of a handful than you and your friends ever were. Granted, I never thought that to be possible. But still anyhow, how has your training progressed?"

Qafiel tilted his head to the right in an adorable fashion. He wore a bewildered expression, and began his reply with a question. "You haven't heard?" he said. "My training is all but complete. I've mastered all the known elements, even Wind, and Sound if you can believe it. All that's left is for me to put it all to use. Mother, it's time I learned how to control the power of Convexity."

"So it appears," the dragoness acknowledged her son's position. His prowess had shown him through many a lonely night. But still he was brave enough to face it all without fear. In Ygraine's eyes, he'd nothing left to master. He was indeed ready. "Qafiel, we've spent much time over this past decade creating your final curriculum. Truthfully, I'm concerned that it won't be enough." Qafiel softly nudged her with his head, bobbing her to the right.

"I heavily doubt that, Mother. If you and the others made it just for me, I can master it, and I will use it to make you and everyone else proud."

"I've every confidence you will," encouraged Ygraine. "Shall we be off then?"

"Off?" asked the confounded dragon. "Off where? I'm not scheduled to be anywhere today."

"No, which is why you have the leisure to come with me. There's something I think you'll want to see." There was no arguing with his mother, and thusly he complied.

They flew across the city to the far edge of the town, and there they landed. Before them was a giant golden door embroidered with metal insignias. It appeared to go underground.

"Ygraine, what's this place?"

"Your new training grounds, Qafiel…the Gauntlet of Warfang."


End file.
